Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-06-14

in New York city.
people who wears the collar of the spe
cial interests has touched bottom. He can
sink no further
l. Who is to blame because representa-
tives of the people are so commonly led
to betray their trust? We all are--we
who have not taken the trouble to resent
and put an end TO the knavery we knew
was going on. The brand of politics SER
we'd out to us by the professional politi-
clan has long been composed largely
OF hot meals for the interests and hot
air for the people, and we have all known
1t. -+
POLITICS FOR REVENUE.
Political platforms are not sincere
statements of what the leaders of par
ty really believe, but rather forms of
words which those leaders think they
can get others. to believe they believe.
The realities of the regular game lie at
present far beneath the surface; many of
the issues advanced are mere empty
sound; while the issues really at stake
must be sought deep down in the poll
tics of business-in politics for revenue
only. All this the people realize as they
never did before, and what is more. they
Some of the men who are responsible
for the union of business and politics
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 inmo-
bility-men's minds by standing pat.
Both lose the power to take new impress
sions Many of the ~old-style leaders re-
gard the political truths which alone in
sure the progress of the nation and will
hereafter completely dominate it. as the
mere meaningless babble of political in
fants. They have grown old in the be-
lief 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 a trust a most dangerous political
or a trust most dangerous Kind OF trea-
son 10 government by the people.
When party leaders go wrong 1t 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 aaginst them.
The black shadow of party regularity
as the supreme test in public affairs has
passed away from the public mind. 1t is
a great deliverance. The man in the
street no longer acks about measure or
a policy merely whether 1t is good Re-
publican or good Democratic doctrine.
Now he asks whether it is honest and
means what it says, whether it will pro-
mote the public interest, weaken special
privilege, and hely to give every man a
fair chance. If it will, it is good, no
matter who proposed 1T. II 1t will not, 1t
is bad no matter who defends 1t.
1t is a greater thing to be good citi-
zen than to be a good Republican or q
good Democrat
The protest against politics for reve-
nue. 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.
tn EN-.
Differences Of purpose and belief be-
tween political parties today are vastly
less than the differences within the par
ties 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 partisans OF
government by money FOR profit and the
believers in government by men for hu-
man welfare.
TIME TO CHANGE LEADERS.
When political parties come to be bad
~ led, when their leaders lose touch
with the people when their object
ceases to be everybody's welfare and
becomes somebody's profit, 1t is time to
change the leaders, One OF the most
significant facts Of the time is that the
professional politicians appear 10 be
wholly unaware Of the great moral
change which has come over political
thinking in he last decade. They fail
to see that the political dogmas, the po-
litical slogans. and the political meth
Cd IF
their power, and that our people have
come at last to Judge of politics by the
eternal rules Of right and wrons.
A new life is stirring among the dry
bones OIL formal platforms and artificial
issues. Morality has broken into poll.
tics. Political leaders, trust-bred and
trust-fed, find ii harder and harded to
conceal their actual character. The, BRASS
bound collar of privilege has become