Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-18
THE SCHOLAR IN POLITICS

| of some sort; 4 you have but five console
| tary minutes between your desk and your
bed it will be better for you-nay, even to
throw yourself from the steep Tarpeian
rock. slap-dasht headong upon iron spikes
than to rely wholly on literary labor for
| support
Lamb was extravagant in expression, as
usual, buE he knew how-it was himself be-
fore he became a clerk in the accounting
division d the London custom house india
house): end his experience has doubtless
been that Of many weary worker in lit
erature at times, through the vicissitudes
Of his profession. And 1t accounts largely
for tho disposition on the part of so many
men of letters to seek government positions
as IAN anchor cast to windward." in the
absence of an aptitude or taste for other
pursuits
1T was certainly the case with Haw
thorne who was glad to be appointed "a
Weigher and a gauger' in the Boston Gus
tom house for the purpose of eking out the
slenoer income derived from literary work
which he had adopted as profession. He
marked mot aVa,i la or FAIRY good
story of incidents, but not well enough
welded together to make it desirable''-he.
the master weider of his day! The readers
were probably not superior to those en-
poyed by publishers in our own day and
generation. They did not always know
good thing when they saw it
Hawthorne vas accustomed to write
very pleasantly and humorouSly Of his
novel duties as tide waiter and excise
man in the customs service and fully re-
paid the public for his appointment. If
only by giving it such delightful reading.
On one occasion he wrote to a friend that
he had been weighing coal all day on the
deck of little black British barque down
in a dreary, dark dock at the north end of
Boston; but he could see Bunker Hill
monument in the distance with a bit of
blue sky. and he could sniff the fresh
deal and alone worth the price of adj
mission" Subsequently, wien surveyor of
the port of Salem under the Polk admins
tration. the distinguished author wrote
charmingly of his "sinecureship." He was
scarcely good civil service reformer.
Though by no means Offensive parti-
san, Hawthorne yet believed SO strongly
in the tenets Of the democratic party Of
cate thereof, that he was straightway
turned out Of his Boston weigher and gaug-
ership by the next administration to make
room for good whig. Party feeling ran
high in those days, and close nefghbors
carved each other up on a very moderate
d1nerence of opinion. Hawthornes politi-
cal views were broadened and deepened af-
terward, as shown through his writings,
by his experiences abroad, and in the con-
sui generalship at Liverpool, to which he
was appointed by his old collegemate and
IIieIu dl bOWuOn. FRANKLIN Pierce, then
President of the United States.
bancroft the historian, had a taste for
official and public life, and though in easy
financial circumstances, sought and obtain
ed. under President Van Burens admins
tratfon, the collectorship of the port of Bos-
ton. 1t was he who gave the author of
the Scarlet Letter. his weigher and gaug-
ers place, 1t was not the custom of that
time for the holders of important offices
under thesfederal government to devote as
much attehtior ITO the details of party poll
tics as occupants of similar positions at
present. National and state conventions,
win an oGcasi9pal campaign speaking tour
We're as rule the only political functions
then atteAded TO by collectors of ports and
Dostmastefs Off the first class. Municipal
politics were ignored, or were left to the
small Try; of the party. Bancroft had am
pie leisure. therefore, to pursue his literary
researches and devote himself to his voIu-
minous history of the country He also
went out Of Office with the Van Buren, adj
ministratton to make way for his successor
under President William Henry Harrison
fippecanoe and Tyler, too" with their
log cabin and hard cider campaign.
With few exceptions, men of letters hold
ing the higher political positions, have
been men of broad views, rarely descending
| TO be politicians only. They have accepted
office because Of their interest in affairs of
state, and not merely as an author some
times accepts university scholarship or
professors chair, for the stipend which
keeps them from the vulgar. fear of starv-
hiS NIiile WdltlilS tne late OF MS DuDi1ca
tons. James Russell Lowell, John Lothrop
Motley. Reverdy johnson, Benjamin Frank
lin and others in American history; Disra-
ell, Gladstone, Derby, Bulwer. Scott,
Thiers, Guizot and hosts of others in Euro
| pean politics have occupied this higher
plane.
These men entering government service
at first, possibly as an advantage to them
selves In the way of foreign experiences
ard remunerative salary, soon proved their
value to the state in the deep and intelli-
gent interest which they took in its well
fare 1t was 50 with Motley at least
burg, minister at The Hague and to Aus
tfia, and with Lowell as minister to Great
Britain. From authors and professional
| litterateurs only they became statesmen
1ow-countrymen seem never tired Of sound
| ing their praises.
The scholar in politics." as he stands at
| the present day, Is not included In this
| class of men Of letters in public office. The
number of university-bred men with schol-
arly attainments is on the increase in DO
litical life. and forms the hope and the
bow of promise for the welfare of this re-
| public: but it is the man who has adopted
| the profession of letters as an avocation,
| or the pronounced author of historical and
| philosophical works that serves the pur-
pose of this article. Thomas Bracket
Reed, Speaker of the House of Representa-
| tives. who has become prominent as a
publicist in the magazines of the country
| or Of several biographical sketches, may be
regarded as exceptional in this class of
litterateurs in politics.
Perhaps the most OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
unique-specimen of literary men in gov
eminent office was Charles Lamb. That
erratic author knew the way to India house.
| whittier he had to go every day so early
(by noon), but he never could remember
where it was located sufficiently to direct
| any one there. He was generally late in
getting to his desk in the morning, and
remained no longer than he was Obliged
! in the afternoon for decency's sake 1t is
| said that most of the Ella essays were
written there. and when not engaged on
| those he scribbling one of his unsuc-
cessful plays. His last play so written,
mr.. H." was loudly Kissed on the night
| of it's production at Drury Lane Theater
and Lamb, sitting in the pit with a friend
Kissed and hooted loudly as any one at
! his own folly and ever after made a lest of
| his dramatic attempts.
"You are very late this morning, Mr.
| Lamb said the chief of the accounting
department at the India house; indeed,
! you are always late, SIR"
| Yves, replied the fncorrigible Lamb
with his flight impeachment of speech, but
you mush re-remember that I always ego
| away early" II
That was the, morning. quite likely. when