The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-05-15
MEN OF LETTERS IN POLITICS

While America has a president who
has been an assiduOus contributor to
literature. few of the men he had ap-
pointed to high office have been con-
spicuous for their literary ability. The
late secretary Of state, John Hay, was
an author of note who had enriched
the literature of America with monu-
mental life of Lincoln, in conjunction
with another, and who had written
some fine verses; none of the rest of
the cabinet of either Mckinley or
Roosevelt has done anything in
literature. The senate contains few
writer's. except casual contributors to
magazines The only real author who
sits in the senate is Henry CABOT
Lodge, of Massachusetts,, who has
written some important biographical
works and dabbled in other historical
studies. But we have no such flood OF
literary men in public life as the Brit
ish may boast The tory cabinet which
recently fell was headed by man; who
is a leader in philosophical studies and
it is often said that Mr.. Balfour's
philosophical turn of mind has
prevented his taking first rank as a
| politician by giving him too much of
| a grasp of the fairness and applica-
| bility of the other sides argument.
If this be true, there is probably
! hard siege ahead of the new liberal
government which includes in it's mem
bership two philisophic essayists and
number of biograpners, besides
Latin poet.
| Mr.. Birrell, the minister of education,
is considered the most complete man
of letters in the cabinet, which contains
such men as John Morley, the biog-
rapher of Cromwell and Gladstone, and
James Bryce, the well-known author
of the American Commonwealth, the
most scholarly study of our system of
government which has been produced
by an outside observer. The cabinet
boasts also secretary of war who has
written volumes on philosOphic criti-
cism and who is the translator of
Schopenhauer's "World as Will and
Idea" feat which is taken by some
as an evidence that he understands
what it means.
England is a better field for literary
politicians than America, because of
some tendencies in the conduct of pub
lie affairs which do not apply here.
The English campaign is more an ap-
peal to the sentiment of the voters
than it is with us, where the sentiment
!; of loyalty to party is made more OF.
Then there is the permission to be re-
turned to parliament from any constit-
uency. Nearly all the literary men
live in London, but many of them rep
resent distant boroughs. Having prac-
tically no local political duties to per-
form the house of commons becomes a
forum for the exploiting Of ideas,
, whereas our congress is vast machine
, for turning out work in committees.
The literary secretaries of state are
not held down to the actual admins
tration of their offices. That is done by
the highly paid under secretaries The
chief becomes responsible for the pol
icy of his department. In America
Mr.. Root administers the state depart
ment and Mr.. Taft actually runs the
army The members of the cabinet are
superintendent who have thrown upon
them vastly more detail than the corr
responding officials in Great Britain.
This works against the appearance of
the literary man in politics. The pub
lie does not believe he could do such
work, and he probably thinks so him.
self. In England a first-class poet or
a mystic philosopher has no doubt of
his ability to direct the army or
foreign affairs.