The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-10-27
KID GLOVE VOTERS.
THE LAZY MEN IN POLITICS.
Present Day Thoughts.
By G. Grosvenor Dave.
written for The Commonwealth

written for The Commonwealth
The Lazy Man in Politics.-A dream.
er in politics, who spins beautiful, un-
practical yarns of things as they may
some day be, is bearable. He imparts
color to the drab life that too many of
us see. Dreams may, indeed, be made
OF stuff that has neither texture nor
warmth nor weight, but, like clouds
they often speak of light hidden, yet
some day bound to be revealed. God
bless the dreamers who walk abstract
edly among us of more practical cal
ibre and see visions and foretell
changes! They have their place, and
they bring things to pass that are i'm
possible to men of little faith.
"
| But the lazy man in politics Is diff
ierent creature. He neither sees the
future nor cares for the present, except
that "in his time there shall be peace
and be undisturbed. Like one man /
have known with tainted we'll who had
never known OF typhoid fever in the
family, you cannot arouse him nor
shake into him an understanding OF
the awakened spirit of the dav that de-
mands q service in some form from
every man as requital to society for
the care and attention it permits to
surround him. He would silence the
drums and flies OF those who do battle,
for his eyes are closed in self-fostercd
laziness so that he sees no hosts to COM
bat. He vacuously asks to be let
alone, for he does not believe in the
power of one solitary man. forgetting
that enthusiasm and purpose have a
self-multiplying element, SO that when
one man is aroused he may find follow
ers enough to combat an army of en-
trenched wrong.
~
The lazy man in politics is eyer ready
to say in one breath, "This is God s
world" and in the next, "The political
world lieth altogether in the wicked
one :" and between these two contra
dictory assertions, like the man in the
narrow lane with a hostile bull before
him and another behind, he will take
to the woods and there rest. To dispose
of argument we will grant that God
m ade the country and all the physical
manifestations of life around us but
social and political organization is
made by man, and by man is it to be
maintained, and by man IS 1t to be i'm
proved and purified and by none other.
There is no evasion Ct this thought
possible to an honorable thinker. Do
we create beautiful city and then
utterly neglect its constantly recurring
needs because of our faith in the AL
mighty to keep the stars in their
courses? Do we work out an intricate
machine and then leave it to run it.
self because other, higher law maintains
the majestic movements of the planets? !?
Then neither ought heroic, a-head-of-
the-age men to be permitted to work
out in blood and agony system for
giving every man political influence !;
and their successors neglect the sacred
task and let it fall to the ground. 1t
would so tall if all were lazy and will
ing to let chance take the helm of at
fairs ana steer to mischance.
~
The lazy man in politics is like the
ungrateful son who forgets the breasts
that nourished him, and would heart
lessly leave his mother to starvation
and to fate outside comfortable home
inherited from her.
The lazy man In politics is like the
traveller by rail, who will admire the
solid roadbed and entrust himself to
the splendid safety devices OF the block
system and the inter-locking switches
that carry him unharmed through be-
wildering freight yards, and then try to
evade the payment OF his fare.
The lazy man in politics is the kid
glove voter, who, having heard that
practical politics form filthy pool, be-
cause of his gloves and his own per.
sonal appearance, will leave the pool
untouched, no matter how vile Its In.
fuence on the day that now is, and nc
matter how sinister its possible results
in the day that is to come.
| The lazy man in politics is the wood
len dummy upon whom the opposlns
office holders can perform in safet.
their great see-saw act of "ins" ant
"oute." He is the rich man who find
| i hn,