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though the questions may no longer be so； the politics of vastly the
greater number of Americans are so。 Nothing else would account for the
fact that during the last ten or fifteen years men have remained
Republicans and remained Democrats upon no tangible issues except of
office； which could practically concern only a few hundreds or thousands
out of every million voters。 Party fealty is praised as a virtue； and
disloyalty to party is treated as a species of incivism next in
wickedness to treason。 If any one were to ask me why then American
authors were not active in American politics； as they once were； I should
feel a certain diffidence in replying that the question of other people's
accession to office was； however emotional； unimportant to them as
compared with literary questions。 I should have the more diffidence
because it might be retorted that literary men were too unpractical for
politics when they did not deal with moral issues。
Such a retort would be rather mild and civil； as things go； and might
even be regarded as complimentary。 It is not our custom to be tender
with any one who doubts if any actuality is right； or might not be
bettered； especially in public affairs。 We are apt to call such a one
out of his name and to punish him for opinions he has never held。 This
may be a better reason than either given why authors do not take part in
politics with us。 They are a thin…skinned race； fastidious often； and
always averse to hard knocks； they are rather modest； too； and distrust
their fitness to lead； when they have quite a firm faith in their
convictions。 They hesitate to urge these in the face of practical
politicians； who have a confidence in their ability to settle all affairs
of State not surpassed even by that of business men in dealing with
economic questions。
I think it is a pity that our authors do not go into politics at least
for the sake of the material it would yield them； but really they do not。
Our politics are often vulgar； but they are very picturesque； yet； so
far； our fiction has shunned them even more decidedly than it has shunned
our good societywhich is not picturesque or apparently anything but a
tiresome adaptation of the sort of drama that goes on abroad under the
same name。 In nearly the degree that our authors have dealt with our
politics as material； they have given the practical politicians only too
much reason to doubt their insight and their capacity to understand the
mere machinery； the simplest motives； of political life。
II。
There are exceptions； of course； and if my promise of reticence did not
withhold me I might name some striking ones。 Privately and
unprofessionally； I think our authors take as vivid an interest in public
affairs as any other class of our citizens； and I should be sorry to
think that they took a less intelligent interest。 Now and then； but only
very rarely； one of them speaks out； and usually on the unpopular side。
In this event he is spared none of the penalties with which we like to
visit difference of opinion； rather they are accumulated on him。
Such things are not serious； and they are such as no serious man need
shrink from； but they have a bearing upon what I am trying to explain；
and in a certain measure they account for a certain attitude in our
literary men。 No one likes to have stones； not to say mud； thrown at
him； though they are not meant to hurt him badly and may be partly thrown
in joke。 But it is pretty certain that if a man not in politics takes
them seriously； he will have more or less mud； not to say stones； thrown
at him。 He might burlesque or caricature them； or misrepresent them；
with safety； but if he spoke of public questions with heart and
conscience； he could not do it with impunity； unless he were authorized
to do so by some practical relation to them。 I do not mean that then he
would escape； but in this country； where there were once supposed to be
no classes； people are more strictly classified than in any other。
Business to the business man； law to the lawyer； medicine to the
physician； politics to the politician； and letters to the literary man；
that is the rule。 One is not expected to transcend his function； and
commonly one does not。 We keep each to his last； as if there were not
human interests； civic interests； which had a higher claim than the last
upon our thinking and feeling。 The tendency has grown upon us severally
and collectively through the long persistence of our prosperity； if
public affairs were going ill； private affairs were going so well that we
did not mind the others； and we Americans are； I think； meridional in our
improvidence。 We are so essentially of to…day that we behave as if to…
morrow no more concerned us than yesterday。 We have taught ourselves to
believe that it will all come out right in the end so long that we have
come to act upon our belief； we are optimistic fatalists。
III。
The turn which our politics have taken towards economics； if I may so
phrase the rise of the questions of labor and capital； has not largely
attracted literary men。 It is doubtful whether Edward Bellamy himself；
whose fancy of better conditions has become the abiding faith of vast
numbers of Americans； supposed that he was entering the field of
practical politics； or dreamed of influencing elections by his hopes of
economic equality。 But he virtually founded the Populist party； which；
as the vital principle of the Democratic party； came so near electing its
candidate for the Presidency some years ago； and he is to be named first
among our authors who have dealt with politics on their more human side
since the days of the old antislavery agitation。 Without too great
disregard of the reticence concerning the living which I promised myself；
I may mention Dr。 Edward Everett Hale and Colonel Thomas Wentworth
Higginson as prominent authors who encouraged the Nationalist movement
eventuating in Populism； though they were never Populists。 It may be
interesting to note that Dr。 Hale and Colonel Higginson； who later came
together in their sociological sympathies； were divided by the schism of
1884； when the first remained with the Republicans and the last went off
to the Democrats。 More remotely； Colonel Higginson was anti slavery
almost to the point of Abolitionism； and he led a negro regiment in the
war。 Dr。 Hale was of those who were less radically opposed to slavery
before the war； but hardly so after it came。 Since the war a sort of
refluence of the old anti…slavery politics carried from his moorings in
Southern tradition Mr。 George W。 Cable； who； against the white sentiment
of his section； sided with the former slaves； and would； if the indignant
renunciation of his fellow…Southerners could avail； have consequently
ceased to be the first of Southern authors； though he would still have
continued the author of at least one of the greatest American novels。
If I must burn my ships behind me in alleging these modern instances； as
I seem really to be doing； I may mention Mr。 R。 W。 Gilder； the poet； as
an author who has taken part in the politics of municipal reform； Mr。
Hamlin Garlan