Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-11
PA SSING OF A POLITICIAN
tstouRhton Cooley. In the Chicago IIcraldo
One of the Dny's Rest Cartoons

To sec man OF worth struggling
wasting his strength IN merely getting
chance To do the work he has In mind
arouscs our sympathy and admiration.
But TO So" man with a great work
lying plains bcfov. MIN. sc, Indifferent
20 the opportunity ms US with dis
appointment and regret
The closing OF the political career Of
Carter II. Harrison is OF more than
passing interest TO the people OF chi
cago. For seldom does the ~. OF,
an individual oner such -triking con-
NaSt between what & and what might
nave been. Ana it . httins that tn.
ives OF men who have risen 10 posi-
tons Of prominence be aUa!ylcd In a
friendly spirit, tn order tina, those who
succeed them may avoid ,hcir mistakes
and profit b. their success
Carter II Harrison has been favored
By fortune IA al! thugs say. the ability
20 take advantage OF his opportunities
Bl"sscd with wealth popular family
name. mud education, ~" entered politics
At time when the old order had he
gun 10 sly" way 10 The new. and when
young man OF HIS parts had only to
keep faitn with Tho rising Democra -
To achieve a brilliant political care"r
The AitSeld Democrats, 0nd the
Democrats OF all parties who spell
their democracy with a small -. TOOK
up Mr.. Harrison on account OF tn.
democratic sentiment Of the Chicago
Times under his management Had he
in reality held the ideas a.. was sup
posed 10 hold ana taken up The cause %
the people in earnest Their. would
have gathered about him Il body o, pro-
ereSsive Democrats who would nave
made Chicago as distinguished for its
political and economic excellence as
- is for It's commercial success. In
stead, he accepted IN. support OF tho
radical Democrats to ride into offc",
and then straightwny forgot them
1t is not charged that he bctra cd
the people for u price. There are those,
however. who believe ne changed his
course because OF social pressure and
the rewards that society can confer
upun the family OF man who viii
serve it. They think that because o.!
these subtl" Influences he was won
away from his earlier associates and
came 10 see public questions from the
viewpoint o! the Twcuty-hrst ward
rather than the NineJccnth
II James Russell Lowell could alter
his ideas "f liberty so markedly after
his residence at the court ~ - James
aud Herbert Spencer could change his
conception of Justice after h. had b." =
como the pet OF i;ngland's aristocrA cy,
IL IS possible that Mr.. Harrison has
oe"n similarly affected 1t might he
I:c:c charitable To say that nc Is one
OF that numerous class 90 highly in
nucUtinl inhiN iduais who lacl, q social
conscience. that class Of irdi NIduals
who lack the imagination to- picture
social righteousness, as distinct from
an indiNidral righteousness
I;ut whatever may haNc been tho r.t-
son. whether OF head OF OF heart the
fact remains that Mr.. Harrison broke
with his FIRST supporters ana allied linn
self with their opponents. huvInG mis-
five terms OF Office lie has maintained :.
delicate balance between business that
profits by privilege and machine poll =
ticians who profit by vice. Clean him :
self. pcrsonally. and above n suspicion
OF dishonesty. he has failed signally as
1 a Mayor, and Will go out OF Office with
out having accomplished any great
/ thing by which he will he rcmcm bcrcd.
Mr. IlarrisUns service can best be
measured, perhaps, by contrasting il
with that Of Tom Johnson. 1t is not
/ that Mr.. Johnson was The ADLER man OF
; that he had q greater opportunity, but
! that he had II social vision lie saw
! and stroVc for with all his might a So
! c!cty IN which no man held Il legal
privilege over his fellow, and in which
every worker should have the fun prod
/ uct OF his toll.
AS q step toward realizing that vision
Johnson undertook TO secure all the
people of Cleveland their rights In its
. streets, ana TO lnUt cnu ne cnucaNoftU
/ 10 establish Il Scent street car fare. lie
had to contend against not only the
( privileged interests OF Cleveland, but
! the privileged interests throughout the
! country, for they we'll knew that IL he
! succeeded in Cleveland il would weaken
their hold in every other city. The
! struggle cost him his fortune and his
! life, but he won his fight in the high
! est sense in which any man can win
| For not only has Cleveland n Recent
| fare, but ii has a civic conscience.
How different has Jared tie struggle
! in Chicago! We have had the same
| problems, and we could have profit cd
| by the experience Of Cleveland. Had
! V" had tho support Of the Harrison
! Democrats and leader with Tom
! Lohmsop's vision we could have settled
! our traction fight in tho interest al
/ the whole people.
We could and should have had Il sys-
/ tom that transported the people in
f.. their own streets at cost, either under
| municipal ownership or under a plan
( that would approximate a 3-Ccnt fare
! We have instead n system that pays Il
! large revenue to tho city This rcvcnuC
Is derived from u direct tax upon the
, patrons of the cars. tho cash girls
, messenger boys, working girls and
women TO whom IL represents a large
part of their income, and this revenue
lis To hc devoted to the relief of tho
property owners whose lands will he