a Political Factor 7$ 



an ally whom they may follow or lead, as circum 

 stances dictate. In other words, all three grow to 

 feel in common on certain important subjects, and 

 this fellow-feeling has results as far-reaching as 

 they are healthy. 



Good thus follows from mere ordinary political 

 affiliation. A man who has taken an active part in 

 the political life of a great city possesses an incal 

 culable advantage over his fellow-citizens who have 

 not so taken part, because normally he has more un 

 derstanding than they can possibly have of the atti 

 tude of mind, the passions, prejudices, hopes, and 

 animosities of his fellow-citizens, with whom he 

 would not ordinarily be brought into business or 

 social contact. Of course there are plenty of ex 

 ceptions to this rule. A man who is drawn into 

 politics from absolutely selfish reasons, and espe 

 cially a rich man who merely desires to buy political 

 promotion, may know absolutely nothing that is of 

 value as to any but the basest side of the human 

 nature with which his sphere of contact has been 

 enlarged; and, on the other hand, a wise employer 

 of labor, or a philanthropist in whom zeal and judg 

 ment balance each other, may know far more than 

 most politicians. But the fact remains that the 

 effect of political life, and of the associations that it 

 brings, is of very great benefit in producing a better 

 understanding and a keener fellow-feeling among 



