The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-18

made Judge in the land, that any man
WIZ, when natn any SUIT or cause mlgnt come
Samuel 1874.
Now doesn't that sound Just like a
politician? The man who wants a.
public Job invariably talks like that.
It's as natural as it is for water to run
down hill.
King David was not perfect, by any
means, but he was a pretty fair sort
of ruler. He said. in his haste, that
all men were liars-using that short,
ugly word-not combining himself to
pointing out individual members Of
the Ananias club here and there.
There were also some individual acts
in his administration that were open
to severe criticism, but taken as
whole he ruled wisely and well.
Then there was Absalom. his son.
Absalom is remembered chiefly by his
tragic end. when his long hair caught
in the branches of a. tree while the
mule he was riding went on, leaving
him suspended there. But Absalom
had more of history than this. He
appears to have been a very likeable
fellow and was greatly beloved by his
father, David. He was a fine locker.
and had a way of commanding adj
miration.
But Absalom had one fault: He
had bad case Of office itch. He was
INSCRIPTIONS. too. and was not par
ticuIar how he got into office. just so
he got there. This is what led to his
downfall.
Absalom wanted to be king. So he
adopted the methods that have been In
vogue with politicians ever since. He
began to play politics by seeking out
every man who had grievance Of any
kind and arousing his pre1udices
against the king.
"And Absalon rose up early" says
the Good Book, "and stood beside the
have been the Copeland county OF the
kingdom of Israel-"and it was SO,
that when any man that had a con-
troversy came to the king for judg-
ment, then Absalom called unto him.
and said, OF what city art thou? And
he said, Thy servant is of one of the
tribes of Israel.
And Absalom said unto him, See,
thy matters are good and right; but
there is no man deputed of the king
to hear thee
Doesn't that sound natural? II
Absalom had lived today he would /!
have said, You are dead right. old
man, hut you are not getting Justice, |
and you won't get it under this admin |
"Absalom," continues the account, |
"said moreover, Oh that were made
Judge in the land. that any man which
hath any suit or cause might come |
unto me. and I would do him tusticei |
"And it was so, that when any man |
came nigh to him to do him obeisance,
he put forth his hand, and took him,
and kissed him."
Doesn't that describe the politician
all except the kissing part, which Is
not customary in these days? And it
worked, too. Listen to the next verse:
"And on this manner did Absalom
to all Israel that came to the king for
Judgment: So Absalom stole the hearts
of the men of Israeli
He kept it up, too. until he raised
an insurrection of formidable proper
tons, which ended in his defeat and
tragic death.
Now, it was not Absalom's ambition
to be king that was wrong. It is not
L crime to aspire to leadership, but it
is wrong to use fraud and deceit and
to espouse every cause, unworthy as
we'll as worthy, to attain that leader
ship. Absalom's motto was. "Any
thing to win" Many a politician acts
on the same principle. If a man wants
to be a leader he should fit himself
for leadership. espouse worthy issues.
and submit his cause to the people
without fraud and deceit. If AbsaIom
had done that it is not at all improb-
able that he would have succeeded
David as king.
There are a good many Absaloms in
politics today, and they are not con-
lined to any party or faction. Every
reform movement has them, for a
politician who is ''out'' can not get
in unless he promises reforms.
Absa1om posed as a reformer. But
here is a vast difference between the
reformer for office only and the re-
former who really means it.
The moral of it is the people should
beware of the Absaloms. They should
exercise due care and judgment in
choosing their reformers. Reforms ;
are to be desired in nearly every gov
it is the reforms that
are important and not the reformers.
At the same time. it is not necessary
10 be against good thing just because
some man you suspect of being an
A bsalom is for it. Absalom undoubt-
adly endorsed some worthy issues in
1is day.
NOW-AND THEN. Ii
Not long ago, says an Iowa paper, a
fr,T 60 horr |