The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-05-28
HIS DEFINITION
OF POLITICS
Late Senator Allison of Iowa, Said
Meaning of Word was the
Science Of Selfish
ness,
TBy Smith D. Fry.1

|
WASHINGTON, May 25.-What do
you know about politics? Tell the
truth, now. Here is an Informative
conundrum. Ask your neighbor, your
most learned neighbor, to give you a
definition of the word politics"
After you have listened five or ten
minutes to a rambling effort at the
definition of that one word, give your
ineighbor a little bit of shock by
telling him, or her, that the def1ni-
! ton ought to be given in only six
words. Here it is, just AS the writer
| obtained it from the most wise and
| farseeing statesman of the past gen.
Grafton, Senator Allison, who said:
! Politics is the science OF selfish
ness"
That is all there is to it. If you
bear that in mind, you can have a
better understanding of the move
ments which are made in the game by
| the professionals. Take a few les
sons from the public career of one
! of them, the man from Nebraska VINO
has made a great fortune playing the
game Of politics. He poses as a
friend Of the dear people, but he is
! playing the game for Bryan, all the
time. When he went to the Chicago
convention, in 1896 pledged to sup
port "Silver Dick" Bland of Missouri
and betrayed him, Bryan was play
ing the game of politics; with an ace
up his sleeve from the beginning OF
the convention game. Again, in 1912,
when he went to the Baltimore con-
vention, pledged to Champ Clark, ami
betrayed him, he was selfishly seek
ing the nomination for his selfish
self See?
Well, only a couple Of weeks ago
this same Bryan, whom the prohibit
tionistS believe to be their chief angel
of light, went into the state of Ala.
bama and delivered a number of
earnest and ardent speeches against
the reelection Of Senator Under.
wood; and he shouted that he was
opposed to Underwood because he Is
not a prob ibitionist and is suspected
of wet" tendencies.
Here is the naked truth Nobody
but one long engaged in the study of
politics could see through the Bryan
istic camouf1age. But. here is the
key to the situation. Senator Under
wood is a statesman Of experience
and of great popularity; deserved
popularity. Four years hence, he is
likely to be a presidential candidate.
He used to be the democratic leader
in the house of representatives. He
is now the democratic leader in the
senate, and very capable leader.
Kill him now That was the
order which the spirit Of selfshness
whispered to Bryan. So he went to
Alabama to help beat Underwood,
not because of the prohibition issue,
but to get him out Of the way of his
own selfish purposes for 1924. See?
Now, here is where we Iowa people
are particularly interested in this
story Of current political history
Senator Underwood has had years Of
experience in the national house Of
representatives. and is now conclud-
ing term Of six years in the senate
and seeks reelection.
Bryan knows, and knows it thor
oughly. that experience in THE con-
gress is Of greater value than words
can describe. He knows that expert
enced Oscar w. Underwood, in the
senate. will be of more value than a
regiment of Inexperienced new men.
And yet, playing the game of politi-
cal selfishness, Bryan exerted all or
his arts of oratory to drive Under
wood out Of public life, to thus de-
prive the people Of Alabama Of the
splendid services of the ablest living
statesman OF that state. put a green
horn in his place, because Underwood
is growing into such a colossal figure