The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-09-29
Secret of Social Power
py CHARLES FERGUSON.

There never was a time when fewer
than nine teuths Of the people were
raady ia vote against special interests
and in favor Of the common "eHare'
There never was a year or day Nhth
-,-..t...- = ,-.tr1s tenth of the people
were opposed to popular fA't' A'A
statement might be made much s'roH-
ger without departure from tt"'h' '''
! let II stand as written
Now. why has it been so diFleht ~
get from politics the things that n'ne-
;enths of The people want? Why mas
+ the government at Washington anu
/ rho government OF states and clues
! fallen into the hands OF bosses VINO
b1,y and Sell laws and immunl'les on
brokers margins
There are several answers -each
quite sufficient IN itself. But they are
all reducible TO one simple ana pfl
mary answer wit: that we nave
/ not vet grasped the secret OF social
newer We have not Yet learned how
/ to mass the interest OF She majority
with political effect
A still more remarkable thing ~ the
fact that We have, up to THIS t'tne'
never even fairly tried 10 learn tue
/ science of popular power We are
( only beginning TO realize that there IS
such a thing as a law o: political oFha
mics
After We have had our eyes opened
on this subject we will WONDER now
We could ever have fallen into the
childish absurdity OF supposing That
". could secure the rule OF the people
the rule Of the general social IN
terest over special interests-oy JUST
voting for the man or party that pro-
fessed the finest theories.
We shall begin to understand the
secret Of social and political power
only when We begin TO see tnat the
world IN not governed and never mas
been or can be governed. by fine the
cries, j. e. by intellectual conceptions
and abstract ideas,
There il no power I'm theories
cent a. they are transformed and en-
ergiZed by emotion and personal IN
teTest
/, Government is force Whether the
policeman stops a thief or ooitihs
horse. he is the embodiment not or
) fine theories. bat OF force.
The art and science Of politics
rhe art and science Of rnassing ana
orgauizins men on the basis Of theif
reat emotional fnterests-their actual
forces.
I not what people think, but what
they really care about-what they
really want to have and 70 do and TO
he-that is, the stun and substance OF
; politics,
, Now. II ought to he obvious to any
: body who has grasped thus truth. that
. the political machines can never oe
| seriously menaced by moral plau-
81 tldes. 1t ought TO lie plain that the
+, machines represent real--though mar
q row and sordid interests. II ough'
To be plain that they cannot be beat
: zen otherwise than by the massine Of
more interesting interests than those
the bosses stand for
When the secret of social power BE-
y comeg an open secret good men Wi
, give I'D the idea Of raising raw ieVles
or reform for occasional forays asalhs'
the bosses They Will see the folly oi
attacking real emotional interests vel
= organized and equipped for perennla
golitics--by wfstfuI localities tarhee
biauketless into the field for an Au-
tumnal holiday.
Good men will then understand ~hal
is meant by this new~risen Socia
. Center movement 1t comes bearing
a standard OF scientific politics.
II undertakes to mass and. organ
ize the real interests OF the people IT
Al political primary that never ad
, journs
1T witt supersede he machines anf
the bosses by outciassing thenl-ir
permanence. in perfection Of organiza
t ton and In he depth and scnpe- Of tbs
real and passionate interests that art
involved