The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-06-13

party really believe, but rather forms
of words which those leaders think
they can get others to believe they be.
lieve. The realities Of the regular po
littcal game lie at present far beneath
the surface. many Of the issues adj.
vanced are mere empty sound, while
the issues really at stake must be
sought deep down in the politics OF
business--in politics for revenue only.
All this the people realize as they
never did before, and, what Is more,
they are ready to act on their knowl.
edge. -
Some of the men who are responsi.
BILE for the union of business and poll
ties may be profoundly dishonest, but
more of them are not. They Were
trained in a wrong school, and they
cannot forget their training. Clay
hardens by immobility, mems minds
by standing pat. Both lose the power
to take new Impressions. Many Of the
old style leaders regard the political
truths which alone insure the progress
OF the nation and will hereafter com
pletely dominate 1t as the mere mean
ingless babble of political infants
They have grown old in the belief that
money has the right to rule, and they
can never understand the point OF
view of the men who recognize in the
corrupt political activity Of railroad
or trust a most dangerous kind OF
treason to government by the people.
Party Leaders Go Wrong.
When party leaders go wrong it re-
quires high sense Of public duty, true
courage and strong belief in the people
for a man in politics to take his future
In his hands and stand against them.
The black shadow Of party regularity
as the supreme test in public affairs
has passed away from the public mind
1t Is great deliverance. The man III
the street no longer asks about a meas
ure or a policy merely whether it is
good Republican or good Democratic
doctrine. Now he asks whether it is
honest and means what it says, wheth
er it will promote the public interest
weaken special privilege and help tC
give every man fair chance. II II
will it is good, no matter who proposed
it. If it will not it is bad, no matter
who defends it. ~
1t is a greater thing to be a good
citizen than to be good Republican OF
good Democrat.
The protest against politics for rev
enue only is as strong in one party as
In the other, for the servants of the in.
terests are plentiful in both. In that
respect there is little to choose between
them.
Differences of purpose and belief be.
tween political parties today are vastly
less than the differences within the
parties. The great gulf of division
which strikes across our whole people
pays little heed to fading party lines
or to any distinction in name only. The
vital separation is between the parti'
sans of government by money for prof.
it and the believers in government by
men for human welfare.
When political parties come to be
badly led, when their leaders lose
touch with the people, when their OBJ
ject ceases to be everybody's welfare
and becomes somebody's profit, it is
time to change the leaders. One of the
most significant facts of the time is
that the professional politicians appear
to be wholly unaware of the great
moral change which has come over
political thinking in the last decade.
They fail to see that the political dog.
mas, the political slogans and the po-
litical methods of the past generation
have lost their power and that our PEG.
pie have come at last to judge Of poll
tics by the eternal rules of right and
wrong.
Morality In Politics.
A new life is stirring among the dry
bones Of formal platforms and artifi-
cial issues Morality has broken into
politics. Political leaders, trust bred
and trust fed, find it harder and harder
to conceal their actual character. The
brass bound collar of privilege has be-
come plain upon their necks for all
men to see. They are known for what
they are, and their time is short. But
when they come to be retired it will be
of little use to replace an unfaithful
public servant who wears the collar
by another public servant with the
same collar around his neck. Above
all, what we need in office are free men
representing free people.
The motto in every primary, in ev.
cry election, should be this: No watch.
dogs Of the interests need apply.
The old order, standing pat in dull
misunderstanding of the great forward
sweep of a nation determined on hon
esty and publicity in public affairs, is
already wearing thin under the cease
less hammering Of the progressive on
set. The demand of the people for po.
litical progress will not be denied.
Does any man not blinded by personal
interest or by the dust of political dry
rot suppose that the bulk of our people
are anything else but progressive? II
such there be. let him ask the young
men in whose minds the policies of to-
morrow first see the light.
The people of the United States de-
uC" ucdI u S4udEe Uodl.
They have grasped the fact that the
special interests are now in control Of
public affairs. They have decided once
more to take control Of their own
business. For the last ten years the
determination to do so has been swell
ing like river. They insist that the
special interests shall go out of poll