Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-06-22
CHAPTER K.
The Face in the Crowd,

ne = ace IN IHc SFOWus
EXCEPT tt tine given to the chill
'.JreD-there were presently three
rny life, in all its thoughts and asso-
Citations was now politics.: at Wash.
5ngton from December until congress
adjourned, chiefly national politics,
Nhe long and elaborate arrangements
preliminary to the campaign for the
conquest of the national fields; at
1rome chiefly state politics-strength
sening my hold upon the combine
STRENGTHENING my hold upon the two
f3oiisicai machines AS the days and
me weeks, The months and the years,
fsasned by ss the interval between
FDfsaff:8st anu bedtime, between Sun
Faiayagn5 Sunday, between election day
TsaSd oF4neaiou day again grew shorter
and sBo2eT played the game more
and more guIiously, What I won.
@once il waE mine, seemed worthless
in itself, and worth while only If
could gain the next point and, when
eZnst was gained, tho same story was
repeated. whenever ! paused to re
'ieot, It was to throttle reflection half
born and hasten on again
"a silly hcatness, this living. isn't
ht?" said Woodruff to me
'Yes-but---' replied l. "You re-
rmeniber the hare and the halter in
Alice in Wonderland 'Why?' said
the hare Why not?' said the halter
II .1eslfSble man does not interrogate
life '}ne ilisos it,"
tzIIea, -".trAt,seta6 rVoodruH
And we went on with the game
sshuffling, dealing, stalking But more
and more frequently . there came
F,oours. when. against my will. I could
.typp my cards. watch the others; and
would wonder at them, and at my
self, the maidest of these madmen-
and the sadtest, because 4 had mo-
own arrangement.
have often thought on the cause
sf this dissatisfaction which has never
cssasesl jtoaS1p6 me, and which | have
learnad sare.s all men of intelligence
y wpoNs IN active life. | think 1t ia
T,nat such mon are like civilized man
who has to live among a savage tribe.
To keen -. to have influence he
must pres, "A 20 accept the savage
spoint of view, must pretend to disre-
sgarb mis- own knowledge and intelli
gent methods, must play the game Of
life with the crude, clumsy counters
ssf caste ard custom and creed and
sfnou en3 which the savages regard as
tat an6 proper Intelligent men of &C
vtion az see as clearly as the phioso-
gphers @rt they have to pretend to
sxdapt inciT mental vision to that OF
the mass " their fellow men or, like
the philosophers, they would lead
dives OF profitless inaction, enunciat-
Hng truths which are of no value TO
mankind until 1t rediscovers them for
itself. No man of trained reasoning
power could fail to see that the Gold.
an Rdie is not piece of visionary al
truism, but a sound principle of prac
teal self interest. Or. could anything
be clearer, 10 one who takes the trou
BILE really to think about it, than that
he who advances himself at the ex
spense of his fellow men does not ad
'SysIsce but sinks down into the class
eof murderers for gain. thieves. and
vall NDose who seek to advance them
SELVES by injustice? Yet. 80 feeble
is msns reason. so near to the brute
DIS ne, So 1nder the rule Of brute appe
titles, 'tnat ne cannot think beyond the
immediale apparent good, beyond to
dtsys meal
@bce said to Scarborough: "Poli
tics is the science and art OF foolin'
the people
THAT is true. as far as It goes
ne said IF that were all, justice
which is only another name for CON
rmon sense would soon be established
fBH. unfortunately, politics is the ar
c5i q'@yias upon cupidity, the art o
xoblsa< he people into thinking the
ARE helping to despoil the other fe
oow NO will get a share of the swag
AMI l-,@ vas right 1t is by subtl
appeals rN the secret and shamefaceC
nut con sC3ling, appetites Of men tina
She cleger manipulate them. To &c
man 20 vote for the right you mus
show MIN that he is voting for tn
personally profitable And very slo'
<'ne is TO believe that what is RICH
can be practically profitable Hav
nFst the preachers been preaching tn
rs'evsrse ar these years; have they nc
tDssn jna.sting that to do right mean
sErsaEure ia heaven only?
nit WAS in my second term as SEM
SgoT toward the middle Of it. wa
speaking one afternoon. in defense {
"a measure for the big contributor
vsFnieh The party was forcing throug
ffne senate in face Of fire from tn
whole country. Personally I did nj
approve the measure. 1t was a from
rsl atncE upon public opinion, an
afrontal attacks are as unwise and q
unnecessary in politics as in war. B,
lne parry headers in the nation il