Evening star., 1928-06-03


ashamed Of being sealed Of that tribe.
He Is, Of course, aware that certain emf
nent politicians enjoy high favor, but
so far as he can judge from current
talk politicians as class appear TO
have been singularly unsuccessful in
winning the esteem Of their neighbors in
America.
Yet. If may be bold enough 10 say
so, / have sense Of something IRA
tional in the complaints Of Americans
about their politicians. They have a
system which throws upon politicians
burdens and temptations which are
thrown upon them scarcely anywhere
else in the world.
Sees Great Temptation.
The multiplicity and frequency Of
elections in America and the multitude
of offices which are filed by the pro-
cess Of voting require political machines
Of the greatest compleXity and efficiency
merely 70 guide the voter through the
labyrinth The American voter would
be lost without the party ticket and the
party ticket requires a far-reaching In
tricate organization.
But in all countries the political or
ganiZer tends to think more Of the ma
chine than the cause, and when you
further put into his hands what Is In
effect an immense power Of patronage
you supply motive which may easily
swamp all other motives and make the
winning Of victories and the distribu-
ton Of spoils objects in themselves TO
the extinction Of what are called causes
and principles In other countries. In
exceptional times popular emotions may
break through and smash the machines,
but IN normal times it seems TO an
Englishman that the results must Be
what Americans allege them TO be and
that they would be no different in his
own country If the system were the
same. I cannot think Of a political
class anywhere that would be proof
against the temptations and burdens
Of the American system.
It may be presumption for an e.
ltshman TO say this, but as he lissA a
tn the complaints of politicians or reads
them in the newspapers, the question
keeps recurring to him. why don't
they alter it?" Most of the defects al
legged could be renedied without serious
ly touching the American Constitution:
they have been set out again and again
in American as well as British and
foreign text books. and yet they 20 on.
Merely to de-localize politics by renoy-
ing the restrictions which compel Con-
gressr1en to be residents in their con-
stituencies and so permit the evolution
OF political class such as grows up In
the capital cities of other countries
would, one would have thought, be a
comparatively simple and very useful
change. But this. have been told over
and over again. is not TO be thought
CT In America. which insists on making
even its Federal politics local
Could Change Conditions.
The Americans are a determined peo-
pie with strong will. and yet In this
sphere they present Themselves as per-
petually ccTn7iai7i1~ about things
which trey have /. IN their power to
change and yet do not change. Why
r. it,
The answer. as an Englishman sees
it. Is that Americans do not as yet at
f3ch the same importance to public
affairs as most Europeans do. They
have not in their bones the sense that
Europeans have that the doings Of poll
ticians and the decisions of parliaments
and governments may affect their lives
and their property in ways that are r.
retrievable. As compared with Europe
there is in America the sense Of an
enormous margin Of error which makes
Gus elsewhere of comparatively little
Importance. Hence a general feeling
that politics don't very much matter
and that time can better be occupied In
business and the development Of the
country By individual effort. With few
exceptions the big men of the United
States are the big business men, not
the statesmen or the leaders Of par
ties.
An Englishman gets the feeling as he
goes from State TO State or city to city
that there is a kind of tacit under
standing between business and politics
which permits the latter to occupy a
certain territory and even to do a Ger
tain tolerated amount of mischief. pro-
vided that those who are engaged In Il
do not overstep the agreed boundary
They NAV have what are called the
spoils and indulge in legitimate graft"
so long as they leave business alone and
do not lay their hands on the things
that the non-political citizen really
rares about: eg., in municipal affairs,
the public parks. the schemes Of town
planning. the museums. the schools and
universities. On these terms it Is said
TO be not worth while 10 disturb them.
Well Improved Cities.
The compact. IL there is one. seems
TO be fairly observed Again and again
I have been told on visiting a town
that the politics Of the place were past
mending. and yet have seen all the out
ward evidence of excellent city govern
ment. clean streets. wen regulated traf-
fic. fine public buildings. splendid parks.
noble and courageous schemes Of town.
plannins-things which the beSt-gov-
erned English citv would envy. I have
been told that the credit Of some OF
these things BELONGS to citizens COM
missions and that it is part of the un-
derStanoIng with the politicians that
the best men. men nominated by cham
berS Of commerce and similar bodies.
shall be appointed to these I have been
told also that the cost is considerably
greater than II needs be but for the
politicians" Still somehow the things
work. and the business community ap-
rarently decides that 1t is better 70 let
1T 60 on and submit 10 a little l@eching
than spend the time and trouble that
would be needed 10 change It, Feel
ings are relieved by derouncing poll
ticians." but they are not wrought TO
the point OF taking active measure
sgainst the particular group of poll
ticians In possession. II is apparently
only with great dff1culty that the com.
plainantS can be got TO vote az election
time
action
This, ss an Englishman sees II. Is one
OF the phases of American prosperity
II Is adverSity which makes political
issues and kindleS passion about them.
and America al present is abundantly
prosperous. There are very poor peo-
pie in the United States as elsewhere.
and a not negligible number Of unem-
ployed. but they are scattered over wide
areas and not organized for political
The Englishman. In fact. has 20 throw
away all his own political preconcep-
tionS before he can begin to understand
American politics He has left coun-
try In which political parties are In
keen competition to produce programs
leading the electors into new paths and