South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-11-11
Politics From a Philosophical
Point of View

III
Well. the campaign is over-but
not forgotten. Neither are the sore
spots Assurances notwithstanding
ing, it will be a long day before the
acrimonies Of the contest will cease
toe rankle.
Politics is queer game There
is no better opportunity afforded a
man 20 make an ass OF himself and
an enemy OF his compedetors. 1t is
during a political campaign that old
| friendships suffer most and old his
tories are reviewed and old wounds
supperate and smell.
Politics 20 the disinterested is a
good deal funnier than 10 The can
| didate. II is about as meaningful
and dignihed as a fisticuffs encOun-
ter between two gutter-snipes or an
/ alley harangue between a pair Of
/ frOwsy- headed, blear-eyed demi-
mOndes. Personal histories. person
al idiOsyncrasies and the annoying
| little skeletons which dangle IN
| pleasantly in nearly everybOdy's
closet are not spared.
IL seems to be the am bition OF
each contestant 70 find out the
sooty passages in the others past
and spread them out for the in
| spection OF his friends and enemies
alike. And the inevitable result of
an indiscFiminate handling OF SCOT
is a general smudging.
II is amaziry to what lengths a
candidates Injured pride and un-
| scrupulous ambitions will carry him.
Whether il be by direct statement
| or deCeitfully yelled innuendo, he
exerts himself TO prove that his OPP
pOnent is not the man for the peo-
Piles trust If ne can produce the
| impression that the other man is
| jail-bird, an eX-gunman. a bigamist,
a murderer, he pats himself upon
the back for an astute Judge of
human nature and a sagacious mas
ter Of the game.
The most disappointing thing
which can happen TO him is to hear
his opponent spoken OF with re-
spect and esteem by the people
whose votes they both cOvet. The
ordinary customs OF good-breeding
and decency forbid him to deny of
the platform the others claims for
regard. though ne sometimes does
so. nevertheless. When he hears
the other man reviled to his gain,
ne dares not take the reviler to task
because TO so do would mean the
loss Of votes.
Politics breeds assininity in the
laitv as well as in the personnel.
During a political battle il is pos
sible to find on every street corner
groups of men and women, too.
alas, braying like donkeys TO little
more purpose about something they
know no more about than the 9TH
er fellow has just told them.
Until they hear that Smith once
got drunk and threw his poor wife
downstairs. they bray for Smith.
After they learn Of Smiths deprav-
ity they bray for Brown. When
they learn that Brown is the keep
er Of string OF unspeakable places
they either refuse to believe 1t, or
decide 10 select the lesser Of the
two evils as the object Of their
uraying In any event they bray.
Politics reveals the innate in
stability of some natures and the
hereditary tendency of human be-
ines in general 20 hero worship.
They sway with the oratorical
volubility Of the Wan on the plat
form. While Smith cavorts and
carps and strikes histriOnic atti-
tudes. they are all with Smith.
When Brown gets up and displays
his declamatory proves they for
sake Smith precipitately and cheer
as madlv for Brown as they cheer
ed few hours before for Smith.
And the chances are strong that
they don't know what either OF
them is driving at
For the same reason they in
variably are in sympathy with the
subsequent victor After spending
hours reviling him, tearing him to
pieces. building up a fabulous his
tory that would shame Blueheard
and turn Nero sick with envy, they
give him the glad hand when the
final returns have proclaimed him
victor eager 10 pose before the on
lockers as the great mans Contidant
and intimate. Only unless he Is
Injured 10 the incongruities Of pol
itics can ne carry the situation off
with eQuanimity and without a
feeling of nausea al the abiect by
pocriSv and insincerity OF people.
To be a politician one must have