Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1892 — YOUNG MEN IN POLITICS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

YOUNG MEN IN POLITICS

EXPERIENCED STATESMEN CIVE ADVICE. Should the Yonth of the Land Seek to Serve Their Country In an Official Way?— Acquire a Competence Before Entering the Eight for l’ame. They All S»y «Don’t.’’

■ X WASHINGTON let tor: The V V appearance of tho young man in. politics is one of the »’ novelties of the last " few political seax sons, and it has been 3 accompanied by an inclination to crodit 2 him with being a Scj factor not to be omit(Bfejted in any calculaSjj’ffions for the future. g? Many young mon "wjir - are growing up with erstho determination to j[l Jadopt politics as a ![ ■• career. Public men are asked daily:

What advice would you give a young man who proposed to choose politics lor a profession? On one of his trips to Washington sin 'e the famous suits were settled in his favor, Senator Matt Quay said: “I give any young man with such intentions Punch's advice to a couple about to get married: ‘Don’t.’ ” There would be no mistaking the Senator’s don’t for do. “But if he persisted in deciding that a political career was the only one that would satisfy him I should advise him to get a libetal education, one outside universities, knd, above ail. to study human nature, the only book that can thwart any man’s plans.” Representative Cogswell, of Massachusetts, says: “Any young man might just as well tie a millstono about his neck and jump overboard as to adopt politics for a ‘career, if he chooses It for office only, but if it is for its own sake alone, then politics,” and the Congressman waxes enthusiastic, “is as great and glorious a science as mathematics. ” Senator Proctor of Vermont would ex-

ercise his New Enland caution and would want to know what sort of a fellow ho was, but as to advising any young man to adopt politics for a business, with cold-blooded calculation, the Senator says: “In our republican government political life should be an aoci-i dent, not a career.' But experience is a n indispensable

qualification to success in politics. ” Senator TDawos, one of the original patriarchs of Massachusetts, says: “Every man should know something of politics, but not for office seeking. No young man, unless in possession of an assured income, can afford to lay everything else aside to devote his life to politics. And even then he should acquire a profession for his own development. ”

Senator Stewart, out of his long experience, says: “I’d tell any young man to get a profession, to wait till he was 40 and find what he is worth in ability and in pocket-book. In the meantime secure a general education by close study of the newspapers in their criticisms and reports of public events. Also to study elementary law, for everything in that line would be of use. The best thing any man could do is to keep out of politics altogether. And especially a young man.” Representative McMillin says: “No young man can afford to go into politics for what he expects to get out of it. A public man who accepts office should be thoroughly equipped for other professions. It gives him freedom and independence of action, for he realizes that if his course is not satisfactory to his constituents and he is not returned year after year when he leaves Congress he has something to fall back upon. A young man can never be thoroughly independent in his course unless he has the knowledge to back him up. Politics should be the dessert and not the menu of a young man’s life.” Senator Gallinger says: “If he is bright I should say yes by all means,

for there are a great many prizes to be drawn in political life, but he must not depend entirely on politics. If he does he is likely to fail. For a young man to adopt a political career is a misfortune, if he is "unsuccessful, and it is well known how very few men ever attain any •position near the goal they set for themselves

when starting out. It is a rough road to travel, since, as the lame man said on a slippery morning, there are a good many ups and downs. Every man who enters politics as a profession should have something else to depend on, some profession or trade which he can fall back upon when politics no longer smiles upon him.” Representative Belden of New York, who is credited with having millions sufficient for half a dozen substantial fortunes, says: “I’d tell any young man who asked my advice to go and do anything else undei the sun, but never go • into politics while ho is young, particularly if he wants to make any money. ” O’Neill, of Philadelphia, who now ranks as the grandfather of the House, says: “I shouldn’t advise any young man to give up his- life to politics. I state this as the result .of my own experience. He had much better devote himself to business until he has acquired a solid position and can have no thought for his sustenance. With mature years his value to any party will bo increased. I don’t think that really there are many more young men now in polities in proportion to the great number of public men than there have been at any previous time. But I always tell a young man the best advice I can give him is to let politics for office alone.” The veteran Sonator Morrill of Vermont, who was well along in years be-

fore he entered public life, and who, up to the time he came to the Senate, had been guiltless of any con- 4 neotion with politics, J nor even held a vil- 1 lage office of any sort, 'A says: “If he is going# into politics for office,® he had better go horned and hoe potatoes for i $lO a morith. If he persists, I should want

to know all about his senator siorhill. I capabilities before deciding, and I : should advise him never to engage in ] a political life until he had a compe- • tency.” Holman, who poses as the father of : the House and phaneellor of the Ex- 1 chequer, says: “I should first ask any young man who wanted my advice about adopting a political oareer what he had in his pocketbook. If there wasn’t much I should tell him to fill it before 1 going Into politics for office. And any- j way he had bettor keep out till hc-is old enough to bring a ripe experience to the J

Aid of The Government. All old politicians you will find agree that there is nothing in politics for a young man. And the best thing that can happen to him is to keep of it altogether. ” On just what grounds Senator Stanford would give h:s advjce he does not state, but he is frequently called on by young men who want his counsel at out devoting their lives to polities, and if they all get this advice they get mighty small encouragement to dedicate their energies to the exigencies of government. This man of many millions says: “Of course, I couldn’t give any advice to such a young man until I knew all about him. But I’d probably tell him, then, that he’d better bo able to earn his broad and butter in some other way so he can get married before he goes into politics.” Sonator Felton, the California man of money, from the standpoint of a wealthy

man, says: “It is my opinion that, men should have a knowledge of the politics of I the edUntry. At tho same time they should pursue some trade or profession, until they have secured a cer- , tain income, t.nd that 1 experience that tho business of governing the people demands. There may be txcep-

tional cases where a young man can follow politics with etfedit io himself and with benefit to the country, but they ar * rare. And men of maturity are most desired in public life." Congressman Stephenson of Michigan is called one of the richest men in tho House, ranking anywhere from $5,000,000 to $7,000,0(10, owing to file veracity of the man who furnishes the description. Stephenson says: “If I had a young friend who was crying to go into politics for a living as he would adopt any other profession, I’d tell him to stay at home and saw wood. I’ve seen a good many ;oung fellows who started to make politUs a business, and I never saw one of tiem who in the end didn’t turn out a pretty bad wreck. ” Representatve Bynum, of Indiana, says: “I say don’t. Most all young men. or many of them, feel as I did. I thought that if I could only come to Congress I'd ho -the happ'eit man in Indiana, and I wai too, when I found myself really hem,[but” —and tho full stop is more expressive than a dictionary—“l •recovered prety soon, and I couldn’t advise any young man to get too deep into politics b«foie he has something to live on.” Senator Dulois, of Idaho, the youngest Senator, siys: “I should advise ail

young men to be* come politicims to the extent of vorking at primaries aid having a thorougt knowledge of natioml governmental uffiirs. As to whether an.' young man should be advised to fillow a political earner, it wouldn’t make any difference if he were advised not to. If hi

did have the political spirit he would be a politician anyhojv. I have been a politician ever siucq I was a boy. All through Yale I was deep in politics and knew no other life aid couldn’t be kept out of it. Wo want xoung men in politics, but for nationallpurposes it is absolutely essential that iliey should have a settled income." \ Chicago’s Indicted Boodlers. Ir justice is donoi there may be a quorum left, but it is doubtful. —Minneapolis Tribune. Boodling is not an uncommon thing, but the puntehnient of the boodlers is somewhat ram.—Detroit Tribune. CoHRUPTick in our cities has assumed immense piocbrtions, and it is high time that a reform Was wrought.—Elgin News. Thus between tho boodle bag and the sandbag the cat is being slowly let out of tho bag retarding that city. —Philadelphia Times Indictments are easily obtained where the evidence is forthcoming. Conviction arid punishment are not quite so easy.—StJPaul Dispatcft. If Chicagi) must have her boodling Aldermen, it is an excellent plan to got them indictei, tried, and out of the way before exhibition time.—Boston #Globe. Several Chicago Aldermen have been indicted “for feloniously conspiring to commit bribery;” Pshaw! is that a crime in Chicago?—Rochester Post-Ex-press. It really looks as if the Chicago people are going to take an interest in their municipal affairs; so long surrendered to the rumsellers and bunco steerers. — Minneapolis Times. It may bo necessary to transfer the scat of Chicago government to Joliet, a suburb in which many a Chicago politician has sojourned in times past —gone by.—St. Paul Globe. The case is certainly a dark-looking one for the indicted aldermen. More indictments are to follow. The chances are that when the matter terminates a quorum of the present Council will be at Joliet working for the dear public, and getting only their board for their valuable services.—Milwaukee News. Chicago seems to be just on the eve of a great public wash of municipal dirty linen, similar to that which attended the Broadway railroad exposure in this city. Its blood is up and it seems likely that the m n who have long held in the city hall a carnival of crime will soon begin to wish they had behaved themselves.—New York Tribune. . The evidence of the big boodle payments to Chicago aldermen will make some mouths water in our city hall. Yet, there as here, the greater part of the boodle always sticks to the lingers of the outside bosses who arrange the “strike combine” and distribute the “provisions.” Sometimes those outside get all “the stuff” by simply agreeing to disorganize and hold off their boodlers. —St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

SENATOR PROCTOR.

SENATOR GALLINGER.

SENATOR FELTON.

SENATOR DUBOIS.