Arizona republican., 1920-08-01
TheOccupational Vote
BY FREDERIC j. HAsKIN

Washington, D. C., July 1S.-Senator Harding, we learn is sure of the chauffeur vote all over the country because he drives his own car with great skill, and because he is an hon. orary member of the Professional Chauffeurs association of the District of Columbia. It is understood that chauffeurs' clubs will be organized in all cities to support him.
 This fact certainly ought to contain a suggestion for those gentlemen of political power who manage presiden- tial campaigns It is evident that the chauffeurs are not going to support Harding because of his record as an executive, nor yet because of the plat form on which he stands, but primarily because of his record as a chauffeur It would seem that if candidate could be found who had devoted himself to enough different occupations at one l time and another, and if these occupa- tional sympathies could be properly worked upon. he would sweep the country.
 This tendency to play up facts about a candidate which have nothing to do with his fitness for the presidency, and which is noticeable in every presi- dential campaign, is evidence or a l weakness in the democratic system of government which has been pointed out by every critic of it. This weak l AASoS IS l1dl liS average Lhe11 LSSAS more strongly than he thinks, and is | therefore apt to vote for the man who can most strongly arouse him sym pathies, rather than the one who is l logically fit to serve in office. The man who arouses his sympathies is the one who is most like him. But this average man is not a genius he is a mediocrity. Hence it is argued, the tendency is always to choose mediocri- tie for office and exclude really gifted men.
 Presidential Requirements
 You can easily think of many facts in support of this idea. In a presiden- | tial campaign, or any other kind of political campaign. there is always a great effort on the part of each can didates supporters to bring out all the
 homely facts about him, which make him seem similar to the average man. If he is fond of babies, or buttermilk or funny stories, if he slaves himself. or plays pinochle-any of these things is strongly in his favor, although hay ing little or nothing to do with his ca pacity for running a nation. In this l country it is almost necessary that he should be of humble origin. preferably I on farm, and that he should have had a poor education and a hard time in his youth. These early privations are | at best of doubtful value in fitting him
 for the presidency, but they indicate l that he is just like most of the rest of
 us. We are afraid of the superior man
 because he is different. argue the
 critics of democracy. We want to feel
 that the man in the White House is one of us, although obviously what we need there is someone good deal dif-
 ferent from most of us.
 A symptom of the same spirit is the
 tendency of the opposition to dig up all
 facts about the candidate which indi-
 cate that he differs from the conven- tional type of man. Especially if he z can be shown to have done anything
 scandalous or unconventional in his
 relations with women, this can be used
 powerfully against him. It may be said that this is because we want a
 man for president who is a model of
 the domestic virtues. We are shocked and appalled, to learn from the new
 science of psychoanalysis, however that in reality our instinctive opposi-
 to envy Most of us. they say, are
 consciosly or subconsciously, some what chafed by the bonds of conven- ! tionality. We would really like to be
 free. We envy the man who is free
 And therefore we vote against him. Here again, a mans personal or do- mestic life has little to do with his capacity as a statesman. Tn fact
 many gifted men in all lines have moi
 been patterns of domestic virtue, al [ anyone may learn by reading the bio. graphies of those who have been dea6
 long enough so that their biographerl
 dare to be frank about them.
 Are the Critics Risht7
 So the critics of democracy seem t make out a strong case to the effec l. that democracy is merely a method 0 f choosing mediocrities for high offic and keeping really great men out. Bu : a little reflection shows that there } another side to the question. Tn !. average individual may fear and env I the superior man, but he also has Il need for leadership which he feel }. very strongly. Hence his great capac 2. ity for hero worship, which Carlyl f points out. It is evident that once tn superior man is gotten into the lime = light and demonstrated conclusivel 2. the 27th day of July A. D. 1920 a