The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-06-12

special interests has touched bottom. He
/ can sink no further
/ who is 10 blame because representa-
I tives of the people are so commonly led
/ 60 betray their trust? We all are-we
who have not taken the trouble to re-
sent and pat an end 70 the knaYery we
/ knew was going on. The brand Of poll
I ties served out 10 Us by the professional
! politician has long been composed largely
of hot meals for the interests and hot
air FOR the people, and we have all
known H.
Political platforms are not sincere state
ments Of what the leaders Of a party
really believe but rather forms of words
which those leaders think they can get
others 10 believe they believe. The Feali-
ties of the regular political game lie at
present far beneath the surface; many of
the issues advanced are merely 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 knowledge
some Of the men who are responsible
for the union Of business and politics NAV
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 immo-
bility-mens 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 viii hereafter
completely dominate it. as the mere
meaningless 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 pOliti-
cal activity of a railroad or trust a
most dangerous kind of treason 20 gov
eminent by the people.
Personal Sacrifice Necessary.
when party leaders go wrong it re-
quires high sense Of public duty, true
courage, and strong belief in the people
for 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. It is
great deliverance The man in the
street no longer asks about a measure or
a policy merely whether it is good Re
publican or good Democratic doctrine
Now he asks whether it is honest and
means what it says. whether it viii pro-
mote the public interest. weaken special
privilege. and help to give every man
fair chance If it viii, it is good, no mat
ter who proposed il. If il viii not IL is
bad, no matter who defends IT,
II Is a greater thing to be a good citi-
zen than to be good Republican or a
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 inter-
ests are plentiful in both. IN that respect
there Is little to chose between them.
differences Of purpose and belief be-
tween political parties to-day are vastly
less than the differences within the par
ties. The great gulf of division which
strikes across our whole people pays 1t
tie heed 10 fading party lines. or to any
distinction IN name only The vital sep /
aration is between the partisans Of GOV
eminent by money for profit and the be-
levers in government by men for human
welfare.
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 some
body's profit It is time to change the
leaders One of the most significant facts
Of the time is that the professional poll I
ticians appear TO he wholly unaware Of /
the great moral change which has come |
over political thinking in the last decade.
They fail 10 see that the political dog
mas the political slogans. and the pollt- !