Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-18
URGES BUSINESS
MEN To TAKE
UP POLITICS
Forbes Says Statecraft Is Fine
Field for Those Who Have Made
All the Money They Want,
BY 8. C. FORBES.

=
cation from his youth up, cultured,
a genuine lover of art, devotee OF
music, and having a fortune running
high into not nine, but ten figures:
Business is the only great field
cultivated i'm America.
Once a man has risen to the
very top and has accumulated all
the money he wants, there is moth
ing for him to do but go on money
making, trying to achieve still
greater successes in business.
He can not comfortably stop for
IL he gives up business he is re-
garded as a loafer and IS despised
bv his fellows. Besides. there is
nothing TO take up his time agree
ably and profltably, He is "out Of
It"
In Europe 1t is very different.
There men who have attained
notable success in business and
other rich men have several attrac-
tive fields open to them.
They can enter politics and find
able and congenial associates.
That is the great outlet for talent
in Britain, for example.
or they may chose to spend
their time largely among cultured
society and in clubs, where people
Of erudition gather at all hours
Of the day. In New York you would
feel out of place n you visited a
club during business hours.
Here business rules everything,
is everything-the only thing.
Life here, you see, is rather
narrow.
have the fullest respect for this
man. His record has been clean.
He has broad sympathies. He Is
not, nor has he ever been, money
mad. He possesses both head and
heart. He has never sought to deal
unfairly with labor. His character
has always been above reproach.
He was sincere IN what ne said.
And what he said has been true Of
the past.
But need it be true Of the tutWe'
Surely not.
Is there no useful sphere in this
country for men who have no more
business worlds to conquer? Can no
suitable employment be found h re
by rich men able and anxious to
serve their fellow beings?
Let us think for a moment
Why not enter politics at home?
oh! Politics in this country is
unclean. There is such a frightful
lot of mud-slinging - often, admit
tedly deserved People of refine
ment and keen sensibilities do no.
relish mixing with disreputable ward
heelers or descending to the kind Of
tricks and tactics that are daily prac-
ticed in order to win elections"
Well, whose fault is it that politics
Is unclean? Why are disreputabIe
ward heelers so powerful? Is it not
because clean people have left poll
tics to "unclean" ones. to ward heel
era and similar canaille? Is it not
because men of the high type of my
rich friend have been too immersed
in their own affairs to spare any time
or effort for the affairs of their
country?
Is 1t necessary that politics should
always remain unclean?
1t is for our best grade Of citizens
to say.
Is it not the truth that politics in
America already IS becoming clean ar?
Has not an inspiring start been ms lie
within the last three years? Are not
greater victories within reach-IF'
THE RIGHT KIND OF MEN WILL
PUT THEIR SHOULDER TO THE
WHEEL? Could not my friend help ?
know he could. Nor would the work
be unworthy of him or any other
ll6IlDGI Ol HIS CLASS Already men
Of the highest social and intellectual
standing have entered the lists and
are fighting wholesouledly for de-
cency in municipal State and national
government. What if they are Will
fed by disreputable professional poll
tiCians? No man can be disgraced
save by his own hand.
Patriotism rank among the high
est virtues And patriotism to-day
calls aloud for a better brand of poll
ticians, for men imbued with de-
sire to serve their country rather
than their own pocket, for men who
will render disreputable back-alley
dickering unnecessary.
To hold public office in a democ-
racy is surely as great an honor as
holding of Office under a monarchy.
There is not one elective Office in the
whole of Europe as high as the Presi-
dency of the United States of Amer
lea.
VIII my talented and respected
friend think over these things? VIII
ne do his share in making life in this
country less narrow, in adding one
new field for the energies and abili-
ties Of those of his class?
There are problems aplenty. call
ing for the best brains the country