The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1904-09-07
EDUCATED MEN IN POLITICS,
BY ALTON BROOKS PARKER.

tDsssess&is Candidate for President Il TIE uaitsa stass
Success. Sept. 1904.
Superficial observers of present
political conditions. which too often
disclose local leadership to be in the
hands of selfish men who use the
power they possess to accomplish re-
suits hostile to the public interests,
frequently assert that there is no
opportunity for the educated, thought
full, unselish, and independent man
in politics; but, if such persons would
only sound the depths of political
history, the fact would be revealed to
them that, whenever a great question
of public Importance has arisen, it
has been presented and champiOned
through the press and on the rOstrum
by the educated thinkers of the cOun-
try, who, for the time being, are the
real leaders, and under whose ban
ners the organization leaders hasten
to marshal their forces lest their
power shall be overthrow by the
impelling force of an idea: for the
power which an idea possesses to
move the people is no less now than it
was in the time of Henry III, of France.
when his cousin, the Duke of Guise,
a urging him to bring about the
formation of a great Holy Union to
combat the forces of the Huguenots.
The king regarded his army as quite
sufficient protection. The duke, how
ever, is said to have pointed out that,
in al much as men are visible and
mortal, they can be attacked and
subdued by force; but, said he, ''Ideas
you can not oppose in that way, sire.
They glide unseen: they penetrate;
they hide themselves, especially from
the sight of those who would destroy
them. Hidden in the depths of the
soul, they there throw out deep roots.
The more you cut off the branches
which imprudently appear, the more
powerful and inextirpable become the
below. An idea, sire, is a
young giant, which must be watched
night and day, for the idea which,
yesterday, crawled at your feet, to-
morrow will dispose of your head.
An idea, sire, is a spark falling upon
straw. There is need of good eyes to
discover the beginning of the confa-
grafton: and this is why, sire, millions
OF watchers are necessary"
Civil Service Reform Proves the Power Of
Educated Men In Politics
1t has often happened in the past,
and in the future will continue to
happen, that organized forces, under
the leadership of individuals having
the time no more lofty ideal than
their own personal advancement or
that of some of their followers, are
made most effective instruments for
the accomplishment of results wholly
foreign to the leaders purpose and
often hostile to their desires. This is
we'll illustrated by the fortunes of
civil service reform, the principle of
which. by the way, early found ex-
preston in a letter by President
Jefferson, dated July II, 1901, which
was in reply to a committee of mer-
of New Haven, who had pro-
tested against two appointments made
by the president, and in which, after
stating in substance that the members
OF his party had been excluded from
ofice and expressing regret that diff
OF opinion had been deemed
sufficient to interdict half of society
from the rights and blessings of self
government, he concluded as follows:
but their total exclusion calls for
prompter corrections. l shall correct
the procedure: but, that done, return
with JOY to that state of things where
the only questions concerning q can
didate shall be, is he honest? Is he
capable? Is he faithful to the con-
stitutiony" Many years later a
movement in the direction of civil
service reform was instituted by
students of political affairs, who were
not affected by the question whether
great political parties were fairly
in the public service. The
leaders in that movement, which in
many thoughtful, unselfsh,
and public-spirited citizens like the
late George William Cnrfis and Dor.