The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-12-10
[ he Lure Of Politics
By w. B. CRAWFORD, of Kissmmee

ever your views agree with theirs.
And, conversely, if your views coincide
with theirs, and they doubt your hon
eSty, you can never win.
Lure for the Lawyer.
Politics lures mostly the lawyer and
the newspaper mantle lawyer gem
orally for what there is in the emolu-
mentS of the office, and the newspaper
man for the ammunition it furnishes
his business. OF course some newspa-
per men go in for the Office and emolu-
ments, and some lawyers go in for the
honor, minus the emoluments, but
these latter cases are the exceptions.
In the field of politics there are other
professions representative fact, very
few that are not, but the great ma
jOrity of the politicians come from the
legal profession. and rightly 50.
The people are paying more atten
ton these days to issues than they are
to men, and the politician who has
aspirations to be a statesman must be
in sympathy with his people. Can you
imagine a candidate for governor being
elected by our people who would open
ly espouse the repeal of our primary
laws? 1t matters not how much of an
idol he may be, his views must not be
opposed to the views held by the great
majority of the people.
Consistency is another element to
success in the life of politician. 1t
is said that wise men change their
views. but fools never. However, there
are some wise men who change their
views from a sense of eXpediency, and
the people are likely to ascertain this
motive before election day. If a poll
tician finds himself on the wrong side
of a great issue he had best make an
honest, open, frank confession to the
people instead of silently sliding into
the victorious band wagon.
People Now in Control.
There was a time when the politi-
clans ruled this country, but that time
has past. This revolution started in
the municipal game, and spread grad
ually to the country and state games.
and in another four years the national
game will be entirely in the hands of
the people. The politician counts for
just the amount Of his influence with
the voting people. The power of his
influence has been reduced, because
there are more people now than for
merly bosses. Half a dozen bosses for
merly controlled a state with five or
six million people, but today the boss
has given way to the voter, and it is
not as easy to control six million peo-
pie as it was six bosses.
The Use of Money.
The question of the use and abuse
of money in politics opens a wide field
Vi ulSCuSSlOu. MAKE the l.,
and advisedly, although few may be-
Heve it, that money counts for more
in the politics of today than it did
under the former system Of the bosses.
I remember that the late Senator Will
liam James Bryan once said that a sill
yer dollar was one of the best cam
paigners he knew, when rightly and
legitimately used, and by one who
knew how to use it. In former days
money was not always the considera-.
ton of the bosses-it was mostly
special privileges for the few that con-
trolled them. Today the primary is in
vogue in most of the states and
money, judiciously used, is the best
weapon Of the special privilege seekers.
The use of money in the political
game is one of the hardest points to
master, and / venture the assertion
that there are few men in our state
political game who know exactly how
to use it to good effect. We have had
a number of examples of its abuse and
misuse. When used rightly and diplo-
matically, it is a fine weapon, but
when used dishonesty and without
tact, it is the worst kind of a BOOM
erang. If I were conducting a state
campaign 1 would want for nothing
better than the liberal and untactful
use of money by the opposition.
matters who is not so in political mat
tiers. My experience has been that a
man will lie, and accept money On the
strength of that lie. for his influence
and still go to the polls and vote his