The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1943-12-30
"a WEAKNESS OF THE SPIRIT"

In the midst of cynical and name-calIng politics being played
by some politicians and some newspapers of both political
faiths, it is a refreshing experience to read an editorial such
as that written by Tom Stout, editor of the Lewistown Demo
crat-News. We are positive he reflects the convictions of many
people, when he says:
I'VE confess to some Impotence when we observe our
political leaders of both parties pursuing the same old tactics,
making the same old charges and denials, repeating the same
old s~hibboleths, proceeding in every way as if the approaching
campaign and election would be in no manner different from
those through which we have passed in other years. If it has
ever occurred to them that we are passing through an expert
ence which cannot fail to change the conditions of life in this
country as they have not been changed during the entire course
of history, they give no indication of such feeling or belief.
THE entire talk is of candidates who might win, rather than
of the selection of men who might possess some qualifications
for leading our country through what is certain to be the
greatest crisis of its national existence. They are figuring how
to construct platforms which will appeal to the ~prejudices and
~selfshness of the largest groups of voters, instead of the pro-
mitigation of principles expressing thoughtful purposes.
"The one thing of which this newspaper can be certain is
that we shall need something more than a skilful political
leader, much more than a mediocre leader, to guide our country
through the troubled waters of the postwar period. We shall
need a man who will be thinking more in terms of national
welfare than of partisan advantage. And we frankly confess
that we do not see just now the likelihood that such a man will
be selected by either of the major parties or elected to the
presidency next November. To meet the complexities of those
troubled years, we shall, indeed, need the services of almost a
superman. If we were to attempt a feasible estimate of the
qualities and attainments of that leader, we should say that he
must be one of such breadth of vision as few in the history of
our nation have ever exhibited. He must be one of rare cour-
age and unquestioned intellectual integrity. He must be one of
humane impulses but with those impulses securely anchored to
the highest order of common sense.
"f given the task of finding such a man, we would completely
ignore the ranks of aspiring political personages and search
through the ranks of industry. Our search would continue until
we had discovered an industrial leader whose background and
has given him the common touch; one who feels
the lift of the American dream, whose heart beats in sympathy
for the down trodden, who has the ability to organize the great
forces of our country for the development of the material and
'piritual advancement of all our people. He would be a worker,
'ather than a talker, a thinker rather than one guided by in :
of the moments. He would be one who has a living =
as exempified by his own cleanness of mind and recthude =
# purpose. There would be no guile about him but a forth :
of his every act and word.
THE fates or God or whatever power it is that disposes of :
he affairs of human kind, has been gracious toward this coun-
ry of ours. That Power has caused to rise up a leader of tram
Washington and Lincoln and, we still believe, Wilson. In
etween, when the conditions of our national life were simple.
We were permitted to get along with just the ordinary sort of
eaders. Some of those served us well, some i'll, but we could
manage with them whatever they chose to do. But such a leader
annot and will not meet the demands of these future years.
We can only hope and wait for the latent good sense and spir-
ual force of this people to work their way with those into
hose hands will be given the task of finding a leader worthy
the most influential position any individual in all modern
mes has occupied