The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1948-06-17
G;sr.xS . Ms
dff{44ERRHKEY

How often do we hear someone
say, 81 am not a politician"
There is a general idea that
politicians are d breed apart.
Plenty Of persons wouldn't be
called a politician under any cir
cumstances.
But why not? What is a politi-
clan?
In the sense generally used
politician is some kind Of crooked
person, using skulduggery at every
turn, out to run government and
gyp the people.
Go get your dictionary and look
up the definition Of politics and
Of the word "politician".
Perhaps you'll find that politics
is the art Of administering public
affairs.
We are approaching period Of
intense political activity and 50
it is good time to think little
about politics and politicians.
Every American ought to be a
politician.
Because so many Americans
think so little about government
we get the limited group that
thinks about it all the time and
never misses a trick.
That's why a relatively small
number get to be called politicians.
And because too many times this
relatively small group sets out to
feather its own nest the term spoil
tician" gets an odoriferous como
tation.
Most folks go to the polls and
vote but most folks have very little
to say about who is nominated, so
when they vote they cast a ballot
for someone who has been picked
by a small group Of politicians.
! If all Of the people were as alert
as some of the people we would
have better government, more re-
sponsive to the will and the needs
of all of the people.
Some of the spectacles in our
Congress would quickly vanish.
For example, the oleo tax issue
would have been considered long
ago on the basis of the interests Of
all the people, rather than Of two
conflicting groups fighting over ap-
petites and not over public welfare.
How and when are we to have a
wider interest in politics? and
when are we going to have more
politicians?
Well, that's not easy to answer,
but surely not until more Ameu-
cans understand that they have q
, very personal interest in our gov
. ernment and that political activity
is the way to operate government
| for the people.
How often it is said that the
: people forget and go to sleep, but
the politicians never do.
When all of the people are pollti-
clans, then the people will not for
get and go to sleep and elected Of
ficials will watch their step every
{ day in the year.
Too often now the elected off
cials proceed on the assumption
that the people do not understand
issues and that they can be fooled
t into voting a certain way-that
they are trapped by catch words
! and tricky operations. Too otter
; the politicians are entirely rlgh'
l about it.
So let's wake up and let's have
more politicians. Let's have more
; people skilled in the art OF adj
ministering public affairs-the sci
ence of government.
, Let's have more who see through
: the bunk when such things as tide
r water oil are at stake, when sucf
things such as flood control are a
stake. whwen such things as atomic
energy and water power are a
stake.
Let's have more people who SEE
through the rantings of some OF
orr foozle-mouthed congressman
LETS have more vocal intelligent
and informed public opinion.
, Too many of our so-cailed pro,
fessional politicians want a public
mind that can be swayed by appeals
to prejudice-by the use of innuen
do and adjectives.
Too often, too, sectionalism, fec
on traditions of prejudice, gets II
the way of intelligent opinion and
again the professional politician
gathers in the gravy.
We have allowed the word poll
tician" to come into more or less
i'll repute. Let's clean up its mean
ing bv wholesale declaration that
every American is a politician in
terested in the art of administering
public affairs.
Every one of US should make
politics and avocation and a living
thing.
lUNJON PACT INCLUDES