Morality and Efficiency 53 



of his associates if he ever hopes to see his desires 

 take practical shape. 



The prime thing that every man who takes an 

 interest in politics should remember is that he must 

 act, and not merely criticise the actions of others. 

 It is not the man who sits by his fireside reading his 

 evening paper, and saying how bad our politics and 

 politicians are, who will ever do anything to save 

 us ; it is the man who goes out into the rough hurly- 

 burly of the caucus, the primary, and the political 

 meeting, and there faces his fellows on equal terms. 

 The real service is rendered, not by the critic who 

 stands aloof from the contest, but by the man who 

 enters into it and bears his part as a man should, un- 

 deterred by the blood and the sweat. It is a pleasant 

 but a dangerous thing to associate merely with cul- 

 tivated, refined men of high ideals and sincere pur- 

 pose to do right, and to think that one has done all 

 one's duty by discussing politics with such asso- 

 ciates. It is a good thing to meet men of this 

 stamp ; indeed it is a necessary thing, for we thereby 

 brighten our ideals, and keep in touch with the peo- 

 ple who are unselfish in their purposes; but if we 

 associate with such men exclusively we can accom- 

 plish nothing. The actual battle must be fought out 

 on other and less pleasant fields. The actual ad- 

 vance must be made in the field of practical politics 

 among the men who represent or guide or control 

 the mass of the voters, the men who are sometimes 

 rough and coarse, who sometimes have lower ideals 

 than they should, but who are capable, masterful, and 



