Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1920-09-24
CHOOSING LEADERS
(By John Bush.)

The almost incomprehensible task
of choosing leaders is the condition
with which the American people are
confronted Our own experience,
confirmed by the records of history,
demonstrate that leaders are born
not made.
Men and birds and beasts, indeed
almost all living creatures, have their
leaders; and in most cases they lead
because they are best qualified to
lead.
Solomon has said: "Where there is
no vision, the people perish;" and
Isaiah has spoken about the essential
qualities of vision in the following
words: "They err in vision; they
stumble in judgment"
The latter quotation applies to the
American voters, past and present.
The cause of our stumbling in judg-
ment, however, is due to the fact
that our vision is so obstructed with
political camoufage that it is impos-
sible to discern the essential qualifica-
tions from what would otherwise be
glaring error.
Practically the method Of acquiring
knowledge Of the fitness of candi-
dates for public leaders is by noting
the criticism of opposing political
candidates. A reasonable amount of
criticism is a good thing for a public
officer. 1t keeps reminding him Of
the fact that after all he is only a
public servant, a public agent, a pub
lie representative. He admits it the
day before election, but he too often
forgets it the day after. Such critic
ism, as a whole, only makes big men
bigger and little men littler-both
eminently desirable results in the
evolution of government.
Reckoning from the criticism IN
dulged in by the two Presidential can
didates, if they be truthful, the
writer has become imbued with the
idea that both are little men making
a noise in a big mans position. If
what they say of each other is fallacy,
then both are deceiving the people
by subterfuge, which is not favor
able characteristic in a man who
aspires to the office of chief executive
of nation.
So far about all the knowledge of
any real value the people of the ma
ton, as a whole, have acquired
through the political activities is that
England has sent to America vast
sums of money to be used in the
campaign. This is a bit of valuable
information, inasmuch as it will un-
doubtedIy awaken the slumbering
revery of many Americans to reali-
zation of the fact that foreign ma
tions are striving for power in oul
legislative bodies detrimental to oul
welfare.
From what the writer has personal
| lN ODStlNGu IIc "OulN dCCIll ~ CRNi
visable for Great Britain to keep hel
surplus change at home and use it tc
purchase clothing for the One-fOurtf
of her subjects who wear no clothes
Then again, it would be a great bene-
fit to the world at large if England
would use some of her thousands tC
build school houses to educate some
of her barbarous subjects which she
has kept in ignorance and subjectior
while she has looted them of theil
resources and imense wealth, in order
to maintain lords and dukes and othel
less worthless title-holders, who live
in pomp and luxury while her sub
jects fight her battles for commercial
domination of the world.
With this fact staring US in the
face it is not difficult to conceive VIII!
England cannot pay our government
the interest due on the billions O.
borrowed money she owes this
country.
There is no more infallible evidence
of insincerity of purpose, short o.
overt acts, than "face that smile!
when there is no occasion, and the
tongue that is out of measure
smooth"
The nation today is flooded with
glib-tongued camoufeurs of the above
type without the slightest conception
of philosophy or sound logical views
of government. Most persons are
accustomed to make liberal conces
sions to the fiatterer, even while they
distrust his truth, and are perfectly
aware of his motives. This is par
ticularly true of the American people
thus it suffces to assert that we are
apt to stumble in judgment in the
choice of leaders.
What is most needed in the nati6r
today is not a ratification of the
League of Damnations but the put
ting of our own household in order
Tf - H.