Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-04-16
FAIRCHILD DISCUSSES j..
POLITICAL LEADERSHIP

=. Cavalier Chronicle: So long as
there is politics there will be leaders
who will want to have their own way
about political management and will
use their best ~endeavors to carry out
their points and preconceived plans
They will make orders and sugges-
tions and while some few of the peo-
pie may demur, the majority will be
falling over each other to obey these
orders, even more freely than they
are given. Whatever may be said to
the contrary, history proves that the
great rank and file of the people in
politics as in everything else, like
good leaders and depend upon them to
blaze the way for Intelligent, political
movement and action. Now as to
leaders, there are some who are COM
petent and know how. to lead; they
ARE born leaders in any sense of the
term, but they usurp the place for
what there is in it for them, and their
leadership is snare and a delusion
to the masses Of the common people
who become 'tcaught" by their sweet
words and de1sartan movements and
put confidence in them. Bossism and
leadership are not synonymous terms.
AS soon as a natural leader assumes to.
be a boss, he ceases to be a leader
that has a following, for while the
people will readily follow a, good
leader, while he IS leader, they will
renounce him Immediately, when he
deteriorates into a boss. 90
That leaders should have minds of
their own and know how to express
them rightfully is well and proper,
and if any leader is not thusly strong
minded he has no rightful place in the
ranks as a, leader of other minds
That strong-minded, intelligent lead
ers should insist on carrying out their
ideas and plans concerning the wei
fare of the state and country, is only
natural, and if they are not supported
by the people in such plans and ideas,
what is the use of their leadership?
That, too, they should seem to be
somewhat selfish in their contentious
for the success and supremacy OF
their ideas and plans is nothing
against them. For If a leader has
convictions about statecraft or a sue
cessful governmental policy, 1t is right
and proper that he should contend
rigidly and se1fshly too, in some
measure, il need be, for the promotion
of those ends that will harmonic to
bring about a crystalization Of his
mental visions. Otherwise. he is no
good as a leader, and the people will
soon leave him to his own weakness.
North Dakota has several political
leaders; some of them are at the head
of affairs in the. republican ranks.
where they have been in successful
leadership ever since the state was
born, and no state in the union has
expanded more widely nor become
mere prosperous in material things.
than has our own state; under their
leadership. Other men in the state
who want to become leaders In
political affairs, SO as to swing things
their way, are now engaged in crying
down the old leaders and using their
best endeavors to delude the people
into breaking away from their leader
ship. Then they cali them political
bosses, 1ussarpers Of the people,
rights and misappIy other epithets.
to them to delude the people What
nonsense. H these old leaders had
ever placed themselves in the position
of bosses the people would have left