The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-02-15
THE POLITICAL GAME
ALL SHOULD TAKE HAND
POLITICS SHOULD BE BUSINESS
OF EVERY ciTlZEN-THE
SOURCE OF POWER.

Politics comprise the greatest of a.
games in democracy. In no othe
department of peaceful human en-
deavOr is there SO much scope for tn
display of leadership and generalshil
Often in politics, millions are unde
the control of one man, says tn
Christian Science Monitor Polite
represents game in which there is ;
part, and an interesting part, TO
everybody. Those who decry politics
in a wholesale, sweeping way lost
sight of the fact that in a democracy
politics constitute a prime essential
Without politics there can be no par
ty government; without party govern
ment there can be no effective eX.
preston of popular sentiment. The
wise thing is not to underrate or ir
any way belittle politics, but, on the
contrary, to strive for the improve
ment of political methods, and for the
advancement of political IDEAS, Pol
itical activity is wholesome. In the
United States it is no less everybody's
privilege than it is every good citi-
zen's duty to take an interest and play
a part in the game OF politics.
Business Mans View.
A prominent western business man
was once upbraided by some of his as
sociates for giving so much of his at
=, fcai ire,
was held, by some of his friends, that
politics became the business of politi-
clans. Not so,' said the business
man referred to, politics should be
If there is anything wrong in politics,
you, who think yourselves above poll
tics, and not the politicians, are re-
sponsible for it. Politics should COM
mand the closest and most earnest at
tention of all worthy citizens, be-
cause politics are the source of pow
err in a republic, and if the source be
corrupt the government is sure to be
So
There was another business man Of
equal prominence and clear sighted
ness who, in like circumstances, said:
Yes. l like politics, and I'll tell you
80 per cent of the inhabitants of the
United States are interested. Some
people take to one thing, some to an
other but all take to politics. Walk
a ha Of talk Tom
Dick and Harry. Tom will talk shop
Dick will talk golf Harry will talk
baseball you can turn any of them, in
twinkling, to talking politics."
Deaew as Politician.
There is perhaps, no more expert
enced political observer and cam
paigner in the United States than
Chauncey M. Depew, who is promin-
emily identified with the New York
Central railroad. He has been in the
thick of politics for half century. He
is as deeply interested today as ever
in the greatest of games. Speaking in
New York one evening recently, he
touched, eloquently, as usual, upon
what he called the fascination of pol
tiles in it's best sense. There is a
general abuse of party organization
and party leaders and Bosses he said
but the prizes are so great in govern
ment, national, state, municipal and
. town, that politics will always attract
section of the public. This section
Of ha aynart and
fessional. They may occasionally drop
into obscurty but never into oblivion
We rarely consider that practically all
we care for and all our opportunities
for enjoyment or for success in life
are dependent upon the government
which we make and control" And he
added:
"The study of the origin Of parties
in our own country and the lines up
on which they have generally divided
goes down to the very roots of our
existence 1t illustrates again the con-
tinuous power of masterful creative
genius and the grip of the hand of
craftsmanship that can not be loos-
ened."
Wholesome Influence.
Mr.. Depew was always a popular
politician, because in the heat of a
campaign he could believe, and he
could and often did, express the be-
lief that, although the other side was
utterly and hopelessly wrong, yet
there was a possibility that it might
he sincere. Also he could make as
GOOD speech on election night In ac-
cepting defeat as he could in announc-
ing victory. Like many others prom
inent in politics in the United States.
he did not. while "in the harness" hold
to the conviction that all good men
were republicans and all bad men were
democrats. In short he was. and for
that matter is yet, Of the type that
gets the most out of politics When an
election is pending 1t Is wholesome
indication of national alertness and
virility for the people to be aligned in
opposition. for the worst thing that
could come to republic would be the
Indifference of the people 10 public af-
fairs. When the election is in doubt 1t