Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-11-19
Statesmen Are Quite
Often Misunderstood
Faults of Our System of Gov
eminent Traceable to the
Lack of Cooperation
Between Them.

This is a defense of statesmen.
They are too frequently viliied,
abused and scolded by persons
no better than themselves. While
there is government by the people
there will be government by political
parties; and while there is govern
ment by political parties there will
of necessity be government by poli-
ticians. A politician may or may not
be statesman, but statesman must
be a politician Craftsmanship con-
sists in achieving something for the
state; politics consists in achieving
something for oneself by achieving
something for the party. One can
not achieve great things for the
state unless he holds a place OF
power, and he cannot win or hold
place of power unless he is master
Of the game of getting and holding
votes.
Once in office the politician is
confronted by certain problems.
While endeavoring to solve them
he is swayed by five desires-a de-
sire to serve the state, desire to
please the people, a desire to obey
his party. a desire to hold his job,
and a desire to follow his own judg-
ment. Guided by these desires, fire.
quently conflicting, he finds a solu-
ton and fashions a policy that is a
compromise, neither wholly right nor
wholly foolish. His own party will
see only the wisdom, and praise it;
and the opposition will see only the
folly, and condemn it; and only time
will reveal how much of folly or wis
dom his policy contains.
People voted him into Office because
as partisans in heated conflict the
enthusiasm taught them to think him
superior being. The dignity OF the
Office itself enhances this seeming of
greatness, and the people demand
miracle to demonstrate the wisdom
of their faith.
The politician in office cannot per-
form miracles. True, he has great
power, and the dignity Of the Office
lends weight to his word. But he is
mere man for all that, and his Taina.
functions as do the minds Of those
who elected him. His wisdom is no
greater than theirs. Though his in
tentions be guileless and his purpose
pure. he will err as men err in pri-
vate life. If he does not trust his own
Judgment and appeals to those whose
business it is to advise him he is in
little better case, for they also are
prone to err. Mortals in high places
are mortals still, and not one has yet
walked without wavering in the paths
of wisdom.
Select four statesmen at random
and put to them a fundamental ques-
ton of national policy. Select also a
dentist, travelling man, a retailer,
and a brick mason, and ask them to
decide the same question. Nine times
in ten the decision reached by the
group having less of dignity will be
as wise as the decision reached by
the other One is grossly unfair who
demands in statesmen a greater de-
gree of wisdom than he finds in his
business friends.
Concerning many matters states
are guided by history and experience,
but each decade brings new problems
born of new conditions Where shall
they find an infallible guide?
We have a railroad problem. The
roads are in bad condition They
need capital for repairs, replacement
and expansion The workers demand
shorter hours and greater pay. How
shall the money be provided without
imposing. additional burdens on a
sorely taxed people? How shall the
desires of the workers be met or
curbed without increasing rates and
thus increasing prices or making a
general mess of things? Do you
know? Does anyone of your &C
quaintance know? There are theor-
les in plenty, but they remain to be
tried. If you have no wise solution
and the sensible business men OF
your acquaintance can agree con-
corning none, what leads you to hope
that your congressman can find a
wise solution? He is no worker OF
miracles He is but a man.
There is the treaty 1t also is the
work of mortals, and no sane man
contends that it is wholly just OF
wholly wise. There are statesmen
who would accept it, statesmen who
would change it and statesmen who
would reject it. 1t is
reasonable to suppose that each is
honest in his opinion, as men in pri
vate life are honest in their opinions
concerning it. When it is adopted in
some form it will lead the world into
uncharted seas. Neither statesman
nor private citizen of this generation
can justly measure its wisdom OF
folly. 1t will be buffeted by changing
conditions, changing ideals and
changing ambitions. There is wise
ao,1rco tn Y11Yc11o hyrt divine