The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1907-05-29
MIR. ROOT. THE IpksiIsT.

Nj. Secretary Roots lectures on
The Responsibilities II Ctuann
ship at Yale contains many Aofaeia
~ wisdom and got fcw plasi'sdea
In addressing the yoaih ~ Yale.
y hose itiosls are yes uaspalsd ~
that illuminating vision ~hieh comes
vith years and aaFd knocks. The
brilliant secretary ~ state usos'
needs speak largely ia TIE terms 81
i8ealtsn1 Rnt when ~ Root arcass
q office seekers ja Tbs langaaee
quoted bslow. ne permits himself ga
portray a condition and = stssHs that
b. uol sad nay aag b. ~hl3o human
nataee b. human aaf3fe and sasa
aaa womea ara dominated by That
zelt la.e whth was Implanted in
tha8r hearts ta the n*EiB8iHK. at
aaes fag tbeis salvation ana tbejf
danuasioh
Here are The words II ihe aeefe
fagy of sfaie
The mas Nho engages Bro polltis
ral work wjth rae primary idea 81
getting office Mas sueCead ln get
Une office, Gat he ja Hbely $50 i0se
tae good apdnloa ag fae community
lu which he lives, for the people of
self governing rommagites possesses
an anerriug insight which detceta
tire spirit Ia vhith such maa
works and ciasslfies him aa mera
politician in the bad sense ~ The
term and atiRmatlaes him ass the Of
fice-seeker
Undoubtedly. this lg as It should
be. but as II isn't. says the ST. Louis
Republic. The learned secretary If
state may delight 10 deceive himself
In the exaltation Of oratorg. bat he
cannot expect those who have been
taught In the school OF experience 10
he deceived by his expressions of a
fauclful conception Of society which
does not exist and never shall TIL
the millennium.
No one knows better than Mr.
Root that the active men IN politics
are the men who want office, that
not one office-seekeT In q thousand
seeks the office from pure and un~
mixed motives of self-devoted pa
and that the people do not
expect of their servants that they
perform their duties with no thought
OF self-interest.
Now and then epochs separated,
great men have arisen who have Civ
en- their services and their lives to
their fellow-men with no thought Of
reward or profit. But such men have
appeared so infrequently through
the cycles of time that their names
are all remembered and their deeds
and devotion shall live while civili-
cation exists It were right and prop
er to hold up before the youth of our
universities and colleges the mmin-
Gus examples OF these noble men.
But IL Mr.. Root meant his talk to
the students of Yale TO have pracu-
cal value, he should not have ignored
the indisputable truth that it is the
practical politicians who run the
government today and it is the office
seeker who usually gets the office
and usually gives best satisfaction
therein.
Self-interest, in politics and gov
eminent, as everywhere else, is the
greatest, most consistent and most
reliable incentive and compeller to-
ward loyal and devoted service.
Some day, about the time the noun
tains are preparing to topple down
and the Angel Gabriel is ready to
wind his horn, men may seek to serve
their fellow-men for pure love of
them. But not yet. And the people,
who possess an unerring insight
for what is inevitable and elemental
in human nature, do not expect or
ask more of their servants than
that they serve honestly and cap
ably.