Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-20

of political democracy. but the MAN, most
essential Is that 1t has produced a special
and Objectionable type of ruler, the politician.
with certain very definable characteristics. The
primitive theory of eectional democracy was
that the great, good and capable men, states
men, leaders in affairs, would offer be per-
suaded to stand for the suffrages of their fellow
citizens and would be chosen and elected for
their known gifts and virtues. But the bust
ness of getting elected proved to be susceptible
to considerable complication and almost from
the outset it demanded something more than
conspicuous public services and utility to insure
candidates return. 1t good for Gin
cinnatus to stay at his pillow; he had to exert
himself.
The wouldbe ruler found it incumbent to
divert so much OF his time from being good
and great to the task of getting himself elected,
and he had to bind himself in such close party
relationship with others engaged upon the
same task, that his individual goodness and
greatness speedily became minor considera-
ton. His interest in what was good for his
country and mankind has been and is entirely
subordinate to what will gain and what will
lose votes. Independence OF mind, magnanimity
and greatness of desire are positive disad-
vantages for him. And find in all the
great democratic countries that the direction
of affairs has passed into the hands of men
who are great merely as politicians and who
are otherwise neither remarkably intelligent,
creative nor noble beings.
They are indeed in great number of cases.
conspcuously shifty and ambiguous strategic
and practically ineffective Let the reader try
to name single man Of really frst-class moral
and intellectual quality in British. French,
American German politics today With q
sort Of bafed dismay we look up to these
men we have elected to make the world anew
for us and we see leaders who do not lead,
and representatives who, at best impress us
as acutely humiliatng caricatures of the strug.
Cling soul of race. We realize that the
real working out Of human destiny is going
on, so far as it Is going on, beside, independently
of or partially hampered by our ostensible
public life.
In America France and Great Britain for
example, where democracy has had the longest
run, we see that the democratic method has
brought about practically the same situation
A number of politicians have secured the conf
dence and support of the main groups Of pros
porous people, who do not want the world
changed to any great extent. These politicians
of the right and center form so solid well
alimented and effective constellation that
they are generally in power, albeit not always
in an electonai majority Naturally these
politicians OF conservation have the support of
all the great selling businesses which advertise
In the press and influence the press A second
group of politicians appeals with O. feebIer
press support and less sincerity, to the less
comfortable and less contented masses And
while property, which demands no changes
can be OF one mind politically, projected RENE.
dies for social uneasiness are various and the
discontented are divided force Ieftism
seems everywhere in a ajority for this ia =
very insecure and unsatisfactory world for the
larger half Of mankind but nowhere is II
in effective control.
scarcely represented at all are the creative
MINDS that would educate, reorganize and push
toward an ampler life for our race Their mr.
poses are difticult to understand and easy tn
mlsrepresent, and 1t suits the needs OF the
politician OF the left far better to excite the
voter at disadvantage by wild promises and
by stirring up class resentment-a procedure
tne poilticlan or the right seeks to counter by
the exacerbation of international batrad and