Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1892 — The Practical Politician. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Practical Politician.

October Century. By the ordinary citizen of the edu* cated class, the practical politician is thought to be a man who, though sometimes, perhaps, having good indentions, is nevertheless led by selfish; corrupt, and dishonest depEjO In his own eyes the practical politician of the higher grade is a patriotic citizen working for the good of a party upon the success of which depends the welfare of the country. He feels in many cases that he is driven to acts, which to him are unpleasant; -which are, perhaps, on the whole unfortunate for the country, but which, under the circumstances, are still a stern necessity. To be sure, among the workers will be found many who care neither for the country nor party, nor even for the leader, though that is rare; but in the higher ranks the proportion of the consciously dishonest, although possibly larger than that of the same class among merchants or lawyers, is still small Most of our office-hol-ders in the higher legislative and executive positions are at bottom as: honest, hard-working, and self-sacri-ficing as men of other classes. The “submerged tenth” have dragged the reputations of their fellow politicians lower than truth would per milt us to declare their characters to be. These differences of opinion with reference to the character of the practical politician come largely from lack of knowiege on the part of the public as to circumstances in which a politician is placed, and as to the pressure that is brought to bear upon him, as well as from ignorance of the amount of excellent self-sacrific-; ing work that he really does. When the people really see things as they are, know what ought to be done, and demand that action be taken, the politician will be ready and prompt to act. The politician cannot act until he feels that publio opinion is with him; his business, in fact, and in justice too in the main, is not to guide public opinion, but to follow it He may help to create and guide public opinion, but that duty is equally incumbent upon lawyers. preachers, teachers, add all good intelligent citizens, W# need to distinguish in this regard the reformer, and even the statesman, from the politician. It is the business of the politician, and the business is a worthy one, to care for the interests of his party, and thereby, aS it appears to him, for the interests of the State; and his party interests cannot be cared for unless he follows public opinion. To the politician also ‘ the public” means, not merely the educated or the good citizens, but all citizens who have votes. If, then, we expect the politician to cnange bis methods of action, we must in some way bring it about that by the change more votes will be gained to the party ia power than will be lostA politician knows very well that he does many things that are condemned by the most enlightened consciences; he does many things that to himself are disagreeable, and that troubles even his well-trained conscience; but, as has been said, to him these acts are necessary, and he docs them as other good people do necessary but unpleasant tasks. When he can be made to see that it Will be better not for himself personally, but for the success of the party —which lit me repeat, to him means the good of the country—to change the methods of conducting elections nobody will be more ready to change than be. Indeed, as vote-buying is in reality • very unpleasant busings for many of our most influential poli-ticians-so much so that many of them 1 , whfledfreefing it, will never themselves take any part in it—no one will work more actively to make the practice unnecessary than will they, if It can 1 be clearly shown that & change to a better system es carrying elections is practicable:

Large eara, drooping at the top belong to persons more animal th%u human. When the ear is ov»l In form, with the lobe-alighUy but distinctly marked, it indicates for its owner a lofty ideality, combined with amor-

A GOOD START.