The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-07-21

WashinGtons u. u July Ass-oen-
dtor Harding. We learn. 10 sure OF
tho chauffeur vote all over the
country because he drives his own
ear with great skill. and because
he ID an honorary member OF the
Professional Chauffeurs' associa-
ton Of the District OF Columbia.
II is understood that chauheurs
clubs will Be organized In all cities
to support him.
This fact certainly ought to con-
tain . suggestion for those gentle
men OF political power who's man
age presidential campaigns. 1t Is
evident. that the chauffeurs are not
going to support Harding because
Of his record rs an executive. nor
yet because of the platform on
which he stands. but primarily be-
cause Of his record as chauffeur.
1t would seem that q candidate
could be found who had devoted
himself to enough different occu-
pations ut one time and another.
and II these occupational sympa-
thies could be properly worked
upon, he would sweep the country.
This tendency to play up facts
about q candidate which have
nothing to do with his fitness for
the presidency. and which Is no
ticeable in every presidential cam
paign, is evidence Of q weakness
in the democratic system of gov
eminent which has been pointed
out by every critic Of it. This
weakness il that the average man
feels more strongly than he thinks,
and is therefore apt to vote for the
man who can most strongly arouse
nts s,clpa,hies, rather than lh' tne
| who is logically fit to serve in Of
lice. The man who arouses his
sympathies is the one who is most
like him. But this average man is
not a genius, he is mediocrity.
Hence, it is argued, the tendency
! is always to choose mediocrities for
ONCE and exclude really gifted
men.
Presidential Requirements.
You can easily think Of many
facts in support Of this idea. In a
presidential campaign, or any 9th
er kind Of political campaign. there
Is always a great effort on the part
of each candidates supporters to
bring out all the homely facts
about him, which make him seem
similar to the average man. II he
is fond Of babies, or buttermilk OF
funny stories, II he shaves himself,
or plays pinochle-any OF these
things is strongly in his favor, al
though having little or nothing to
do with his capacity for running a
nation. In this country it is al
most necessary that he should be
of humble origin, preferably on a
farm, and that he should have a
DOOR education and a hard time in
his youth. The early privations
are at best of doubtful value in
fitting him for the presidency, but
they indicate 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
4 the man in the White house is one
of us, although obviously what we
need there is someone good deal
different from most Of us.
A symptom Of the same spirit is
the tendency OF the opposition to
dig ND all facts about the candi-
date which indicate that he differs
from the conventional type of man
Especially if he can be shown to
have done anything scandalous OF
unconventional In his relations
with women, this can be used pow
erfully against him. 1t may be
said that this is because we want
a man for president who is a mode
of the domestic virtues. We are
shocked and appalled, to learn from
the new science Of psychoanalysis
however, that in reality our in
stinctive opposition to the uncon.
ventional man is due to envy. Mos
of us, they say, are consciously OF
subconsciously, somewhat chafet
by the bonds of conventionality
We would really like to be free
We envy the man who is free. Ant
therefore we vote against him. :.
| Here, again, a mans personal Oh
domestic life has little to do with
his capacity as a statesman. II
fact, many greatly gifted men IL
all lines have not been pattern.
Of domestic virtue, as anyone ma,
learn by reading the Geographic.
Of those who have been dead Ions
enough SO that their biographer.
dare to be frank about them.
! Are the Critics Right
| So the critics Of democracy seen
to make out~a strong case to tn,