The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-08-01
THE SCHOLAR IN POLITICS
The Career of Governor Woodrow Wilson Proves the franc
cendent Power of Those Who Devote Their Lives to the
Study of Political Economy
BY DR.. f. w. SKIES. Of the

American politics. Jefferson was pri-
home among the French savants than
anOng any other people. While he
Y,s 1Ct an author, he literally lived
win a pen in his hand. His library
l. the foundation Of the great Congress
eionaI Library. There were few i'm
nortant books with which he was not
2miliar.
lie was a student not only of gov
yemen and history, but of science
and literature.
AS is we'll known, Benjamin Frank
lin was the scholar lionized by Iha
french. He was not only a maker 0.
books, but a lover Of them. From
Washington to Jackson the Presidents
we're all scholarly men. During this
period, scholarship had more i~nf:uenca
on the American government than IL
has ever mad since.
Among the many results Of the
Civil War, one was the bringing in OF
a new type Of statesman. The "practl-
cal politician took the place OF the1
Old time statesman. His business has
been to bring certain things to pas
Lincoln sold the government to the
money powers in order that he
might secure the funds with
which to conduct a very ex-
pensive war With Lincoln it was
q military necessity. When the war
ended these powers did not release
their hold on the government. They
held the bonds and they felt that the
must censor legislation to protest their
interests. In this war the fines. pro-
fessiOnal lobbyist appeared IN he
chambers of the Capitol at Washing
ton. He is there today and has been
ever since the Civil War. 70 control
-. - -a~
one house of the National Legislature.
X as found easier to control the Sen
ate. To control this body it was nee
esSary to control the State legislatures
that chose them. and the dominant
parties in the State. It was found
that the safest place from which to
control a party was the United States
Senate; therefore the party boss was
sent to the Senate. No longer wac
scholarship. ability, or craftsmanship
the essential qualification of a Senator;
ii was now the power to bring to pass
certain desired ends This condition
Faculty Of Wake Forest College.
did not prevail in every State, but 1t
prevailed enough to dominate national
legislation.
During the last fifteen years the
country has come to realize this cOnd1-.
ton and there is a revolt. The coun-
try is coming to distrust the "profes-
sional politics" and is taking what
interest he represents
In it's original significance politics
meant the life Of the State. 1t
was Il term most high and honorable.
In the present significance it does not
apply to the life Of the State, but
means rather the winning Of elections
and the shaping of Legislation. Many
"a professional politician never read the
Constitution and dOes not know that
1t exists. This knowledge was not
necessary to success in his business.
The result has been that America has
suffered. There are problems that
ought to ave beer settled long ago.
They have not been, they will not be.
they cannot be till the practical poll
tlclan IS supplanted by the practical
statesman, by the man who knows and
studies the problems Of government as
Jefferson and Gladstone studied them.
The English people use their schol-
ars into the active service of the State.
stone and Salisbury have been the two
dominant figures in the English gov
in the last generation. Glad
stone was a man Of literary attain
ments, while Salisbury was a scientist.
The scholarly Bryce came from the
cabinet to represent his country IN
the United States, while. also, he has
given us the best Interpretation Of our
own political institutions. Rosebery
can write a book on Napoleon and
make a lecture or Shakespeare. In
other words, England calls her schol-
ars into the active service Of the state.
The American people are beginning
10 ask the question, Why not use the
scholarship Of America to aid in the
solution of our problems?" The schol-
airs of the land are studying these
problems. Dur institutions of learning
.oegln to realize this duty to the State.
n Old pure classical course is to-
Gay supplemented by courses in
economics. taxation, finance and tariff.
"A Harvard professor writes an article
LOT d popular magazine on How Not
10 Make a Tariff Bill" He has studied
with care and written with intelligence
OF every tariff bill ever enacted by
congress. VIII he ave influence?