The Tucson citizen., 1902-01-23

If we may accept as true the con-
cmsiops of the Los Angeles EXPRESS
"the principal effect Of the scholar
in politics is to bring to the service ol
the machine whatever shrewdness
University course may develop. Sena-
tor Lodge, our cynical Los Angeles
contemporary asserts" never allows
his Boston breeding and his Harvard
rnlture to interfere with his untalllng
LOYALTY to the party machine Ihe ire
ouent cry for the scholar in poitics Is
based ON the misapprehensiOn that
the scholar cannot shed his scruples'
That seems to be a pessimistic view
to take of the influence of culture ana
scholarship upon party politics. al
though the facts may warrant such
conclusion Yet as the scholar In
politics" is more ofteh than not the
creation of party machine, 1t Is not
so wonderful amer all that he does not
the man of culture holds office SUBJECT
To the caprices of party bosses II can
scarcely be expected, after he accepts
preferment on terms which deny MIN
independence of thought and acton
that he will rise above his environ
ment, assert his manhood ana iollo"
the dictates OF his own reason. the
promptings of nobler and higher in
stincts. Occasionally some man with
deep convictions takes this course,
but he is the exception rather than
the rule. Unfortunately the scholar
in politics" is usually too fond OF
power to question the methods by
which he obtains power or the IN
fiuence by which he is enabled to re-
tain it.
1t is quite conceivable, however. that
the present occupant of the White
House may demonstrate before his
term ends that the scholar in politics
is not the slave Of political bosses, but
is absolutely independent of them in
questions when he is right as we'll as
when he is wrong. even though he
may desire further honors from the
party. Mr. Roosevelt is reputed to be
a man with will of his own. with un-
bounded faith in his own Judgment
and with no inclination to accept Diet
alton from any quarter. His spirit and
tendency were brought close home to
mhp people Of Arizona In his selection
of A United States marshal for this
Territory, and the manner in which he
stood by his selecuon in the face OF
a hostile public sentiment and the
clearly expressed views OF the leaders
of his party in the Senate. He is, ac-
cording to all accounts, man more
disposed to dominate others than to
be dominated by any one, friend or
foe, Sometimes a man with such
masterful personality can hold on to
power despite the opposition of bosses.
If President Roosevelt remains true to
his plain characteristics and forces the
bosses to make terms with him, even
when he is plainly wrong he VIII
prove beyond question mat the
scholar in politics" is something more
than a man OF culture who brings to
the service of the machine whatever
shrewdness a University course may
develop" Men without the culture and
learning Of the schools have made
bosses get down on their knees and
cry for quarter. Why should not Mr.
Roosevelt do as mucn if the occasion
and the necessity ever arise? OF what
value is culture If it strengthens a
man $ mind at the expense o. his back
bone?
Senator Lodge may, as the Los An
geles Express asserts never allow his
Boston breeding and Harvard learning
to interfere with his unfailing loyalty
to the party machine" 1t is possible.
even probable that Lodges political
conscience is thing apart from his
culture, Be that as it may, the
scholar in politics" stands a good
chance of being vindicated by Rooso-
welt in the White House and Louis
Nixon at the mead of the greatest
political machine of modern times We
shal. see.