The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1914-06-17
THE PROFESSIONAL
POLITICIAN

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no purpose but getting office
they have no platform but some
thing that they can get in on.
They serve a good or bad pur-
pose according to what influence
happens to have a grip on them
at the critical moment. They sell
themselves for votes to win office
and, when inside, sell their votes
20 get wealth or a higher position
at the pie counter. They are
happy and optimistic because
they don't care what happens so
they carry the pivotal precinct ;
and they know how to do that by
bartering the rights of the people
for votes controlled by design
ing persons.
The fellow with an axe to grind
can always find professional poll
ticians for the job who are ready
for anything in exchange for a
consideration. They are even
less trustworthy than the profess
sional soldier who fights for mon
ey only and runs away from
danger. They thrive best in a
republic where there are plenty
of people to fool and plenty of
privilege seekers wiling to pay.
And what is the honest citizen to
do about it? Nothing whatever,
unless the honest citizen knows
what he wants and insists on get
ting it. In that case he can nom
mate and help elect people who
really care. He can put those
in office who go there to do some
thing besides draw a salary or
sell their power. He can leave
the professional politician out by
putting someone else in.
For instance, if the majority of
the honest citizens believe in the
public schools, they can put
officers in charge of those schools
who also believe in them and
want them to succeed. If your
professional is elected to the
board of education his first care
will be to pay his political debts
by putting other professional pie
hunters in as teachers. By that
means incompetent teachers get
control of schoolrooms when they
ought to be at one of the pupils
desks. Even teachers who de-
spise the public school are install
ed as teachers therein to the det-
riment of everybody and every
thing concerned but themselves.
Every enemy of public education,
who gets a job under the public
school system, crowds out a
friend of the system who would
give it his best efforts and make
it better.
And so your professional trades
in everything that comes under
his control. He will buy embalm-
ed beef for the army, skippered
bacon for charitable institutions,
rotten rations for all who eat at
the publis table and punk sup
plies for every department un der
his control. The only thing to do
is to forget him and vote for a |
man with a purpose.
When an inspiring statesman
asks for your vote, you do your
self and him a kindne ss by ask
ing him for a clear clean-cut
statement as to where he stands
on the subjects in which you are
vitality interested. Better have
it in writing. If he is opposed to
the public schools he has no bus
mess in public position. If he
thinks the newspapers of Amer
lea ought to be hampered and
censored by some foreign author
ity. you will not want. him; and
il is better to make that discov-
cry before you vote for him than
after. If he is a real profession
al in the practice of politics, he
will either have no opinion or be
so ready TO agree with Won and