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an author who has taken part in the politics of municipal reform； Mr。
Hamlin Garland has been known from the first as a zealous George man； or
single…taxer。 Mr。 John Hay； Mr。 Theodore Roosevelt； and Mr。 Henry Cabot
Lodge are Republican politicians； as well as recognized literary men。
Mr。 Joel Chandler Harris； when not writing Uncle Remus； writes political
articles in a leading Southern journal。 Mark Twain is a leading anti…
imperialist。
IV。
I am not sure whether I have made out a case for our authors or against
them； perhaps I have not done so badly； but I have certainly not tried to
be exhaustive； the exhaustion is so apt to extend from the subject to the
reader； and I wish to leave him in a condition to judge for himself
whether American literary men take part in American politics or not。
I think they bear their share； in the quieter sort of way which we hope
（it may be too fondly） is the American way。 They are none of them
politicians in the Latin sort。 Few； if any； of our statesmen have come
forward with small volumes of verse in their hands as they used to do in
Spain； none of our poets or historians have been chosen Presidents of the
republic as has happened to their French confreres； no great novelist of
ours has been exiled as Victor Hugo was； or atrociously mishandled as
Zola has been； though I have no doubt that if； for instance； one had once
said the Spanish war wrong he would be pretty generally 'conspue'。
They have none of them reached the heights of political power； as several
English authors have done； but they have often been ambassadors；
ministers； and consuls； though they may not often have been appointed for
political reasons。 I fancy they discharge their duties in voting rather
faithfully； though they do not often take part in caucuses or
conventions。
As for the other half of the questionhow far American politicians are
scholarsone's first impulse would be to say that they never were so。
But I have always had an heretical belief that there were snakes in
Ireland； and it may be some such disposition to question authority that
keeps me from yielding to this impulse。 The law of demand and supply
alone ought to have settled the question in favor of the presence of the
scholar in our politics； there has been such a cry for him among us for
almost a generation past。 Perhaps the response has not been very direct；
but I imagine that our politicians have never been quite so destitute of
scholarship as they would sometimes make appear。 I do not think so many
of them now write a good style； or speak a good style； as the politicians
of forty； or fifty； or sixty years ago； but this may be merely part of
the impression of the general worsening of things； familiar after middle
life to every one's experience； from the beginning of recorded time。 If
something not so literary is meant by scholarship； if a study of finance；
of economics； of international affairs is in question； it seems to go on
rather more to their own satisfaction than that of their critics。 But
without being always very proud of the result； and without professing to
know the facts very profoundly； one may still suspect that under an
outside by no means academic there is a process of thinking in our
statesmen which is not so loose； not so unscientific； and not even so
unscholarly as it might be supposed。 It is not the effect of specific
training； and yet it is the effect of training。 I do not find that the
matters dealt with are anywhere in the world intrusted to experts； and in
this sense scholarship has not been called to the aid of our legislation
or administration； but still I should not like to say that none of our
politicians were scholars。 That would be offensive； and it might not be
true。 In fact； I can think of several whom I should be tempted to call
scholars if I were not just here recalled to a sense of my purpose not to
deal quite frankly with this inquiry。
STORAGE
It has been the belief of certain kindly philosophers that if the one
half of mankind knew how the other half lived； the two halves might be
brought together in a family affection not now so observable in human
relations。 Probably if this knowledge were perfect； there would still be
things； to bar the perfect brotherhood； and yet the knowledge itself is
so interesting； if not so salutary as it has been imagined； that one can
hardly refuse to impart it if one has it； and can reasonably hope； in the
advantage of the ignorant； to find one's excuse with the better informed。
I。
City and country are still so widely apart in every civilization that one
can safely count upon a reciprocal strangeness in many every…day things。
For instance； in the country； when people break up house…keeping； they
sell their household goods and gods； as they did in cities fifty or a
hundred years ago； but now in cities they simply store them； and vast
warehouses in all the principal towns have been devoted to their storage。
The warehouses are of all types； from dusty lofts over stores； and
ammoniacal lofts over stables； to buildings offering acres of space； and
carefully planned for the purpose。 They are more or less fire…proof；
slow…burning； or briskly combustible； like the dwellings they have
devastated。 But the modern tendency is to a type where flames do not
destroy； nor moth corrupt； nor thieves break through and steal。 Such a
warehouse is a city in itself； laid out in streets and avenues； with the
private tenements on either hand duly numbered； and accessible only to
the tenants or their order。 The aisles are concreted； the doors are
iron； and the roofs are ceiled with iron； the whole place is heated by
steam and lighted by electricity。 Behind the iron doors； which in the
New York warehouses must number hundreds of thousands； and throughout all
our other cities； millions； the furniture of a myriad households is
storedthe effects of people who have gone to Europe； or broken up
house…keeping provisionally or definitively； or have died； or been
divorced。 They are the dead bones of homes； or their ghosts； or their
yet living bodies held in hypnotic trances； destined again in some future
time to animate some house or flat anew。 In certain cases the spell
lasts for many years； in others for a few； and in others yet it prolongs
itself indefinitely。
I may mention the case of one owner whom I saw visiting the warehouse to
take out the household stuff that had lain there a long fifteen years。
He had been all that while in Europe； expecting any day to come home and
begin life again； in his own land。 That dream had passed； and now he was
taking his stuff out of storage and shipping it to Italy。 I did not envy
him his feelings as the parts of his long…dead past rose round him in
formless resurrection。 It was not that they were all broken or defaced。
On the contrary； they were in a state of preservation far more
heartbreaking than any decay。 In well…managed storage warehouses the
things are handled with scrupulous care； and they are so packed into the
appointed rooms that if not disturbed they could suffer little harm in
fifteen or fifty years。 The places