The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-25
POLITICS AS A HABIT.
ONCE FMBiRKED THE POLITICIAN
MEYER JfdYHS OFF.
II His Mania Takrs the ON e-scetirg Form
lis Private business SuHsrs-The Great

II Hts Mania Takes the ON e-scsking Forn,
| Ills Private Hus,nes. Sudsrs-The Great
| Party Leaders Do Not Care About Once.
| There is n fascination in politics which 1t Is
| next to impossible for man to resist after he
has once experienced It. That is one OF the
main reasons to account for tho cont nuance In
active political life Of the Same men for so
many years. Death or physical disability are
tho only things which can remove a man from
| politics. Poverty docs not; a collapse OF his
| business interests only leaves him more free
to give all his time to politics. Defeat does
not 1t rather strengthens the fascination for
| him. for having once had the Joys OF victory.
| the spur of defeat only urges him to porsevere
| as loss at gam bling Strengthens the players
desire to continue the game.
Politics is u big gamo that Is more interesting.
moro fascinating, and Is played for bigger
stakes than any other game thoro is The
oicp prizes Of politics are the visible signs OF
success There are few men who can resist
these temptations. In many senses Office
holding is thing apart from the real power in
politics. \ man can hn GREAT AMI SLGccssfGl
politician wthalt over holding an Office. More
than that, the Office often hampers the man
who holds it in his political relations with other
men In politics, the majority of whom are oifico
holders or office seekers Mr. Plat was
stronger in politics when he hold no
| Office than during the short time he sat
In the United States Senate as tho colleague
| OF Roscoe conkling. In litter years his office
In the Quarantine Com mission hurt him. His
hold on his party has never been SO noticeable
| or absolute as since he ceased to hold or be
| candidate for any Office Mr.. Croker Is the
most conspicuous example OF the uselessness
OF an Office to a leader In politics. He was Fire
Com missioner for n number OF years. but that
added little to his political Advancement 1t
weakened him to be City Cham I've rluin. When
he resigned that position no announced that
he should not be a candidate for any Office or
accept any Office again. This left him free to
attend to the management OF politics as q
game Of skill! unfettered by the fear Of ds'oat
fog reelection or obligation to any man for ap-
pointment to Office.
SO well Is it recognized that the office Is
an accessory to politics. and not the more i'm
portant OF the two. that the leaders OF both
parties in the State try to secure for their
lieutenants men who are not oificeholders or
olice seekers. The Office almost inevitably
hampers the man. and interferes with his
" the personal element in the equation. The
powerful Democratic organization which. dur
se the yfaF an has am made she
tainIy Democratic State was built up by i've
@ and r any "
office: the other two held office. as corps com
p %sfS5s M an cr s@y T0 NV hS4 IT,
Laughln Of BROOKLYN; and aIr. Murphy OF
Gp2s wsre Ehbat S o so5
tho organization OF the Democrats In the
Leg S ature.
Chairman Harrity of the National Democratic
Committee recently said, concerning a matter
in lennsylvania politics where he had to accede
to hm. "There are s NO doses s in e poIitics"
friend Of his had said. That must have been a
ETFe,tty unpsa,sSant dose f9r wv, M: Hsrrity"
not lot his personal preiudices enter into poll
tics when nit it costs ANYTHING to crafty them.
goods to man whom he ,ioes not like. The
more man in politics can divest himself
he y along rh ssd n mo-. G @.sp
should not regard his friends ard
his enemies and should not be afraid to refuse
hs% S SsaS Ss bad Pesis s.ys ss
this /. pripeplo and not a hard and fast rule
human nature to be dealt with There are
some men whom too many toS ems Of friend
can be punished hes, by giving them Jobs at
pul ing the triump hal chariot.
q sohs ess nsn p5 1G
me same Qualities which make ,he most sue
and would enable the pos SCISSOR Of them to iii
its and ksowedFo Of human 'n nature. H This
t i shown net 2. only BY an anaysis Of the quail
good business executive officers change to
ssssatiss ofieers: MANY I men have % S sssa
SarnlTiS a as ONCE win they ~S nsls
an!e TO build up business for them selves
This does not mean tho hangers.on and the
every one OF whom has accumulated q com
potency outside OF oficeholdinC and apart
from politics. through business matters to
havs ialea in politics are Likely to fail in bTsi
ness Failure is somewhat OF habit. 1t
tends to repeat itself. 1t shows that certain
will manifest themselves whenever a sufficient
strain il made.
,, Once in politics always in politics is the or
isiature and ofiiceho lders Of a generation ago
show how true this is 1t is 40 hard for a man
once active In politics to get out as It 70 for a
rouietts whea Some 'e deeayed potieines or are
went into polltl cs They were ' succsssiul
manu,scturers shopks;ePsrs, or lawyers; In
rious mental diversion. they took to holding
Thsr asG 80 bshS o
they lot their business go and gave their time
TO politics, These wrecks ran be seen around |
New York at Places Ike tho Hoffman
and at all the political convent Ions, The relies
OF their former power are their ability still to
GSt n rniiroad passes ara tn the acquaintance
which still clings to them now. They are q fund |
OF information to young politicians and now re-
porters. They were part of tho great political
inisrcnces told with the irankncss OF men who
wa nj TO demonstrate that they he'd power once. |
are instructive and interesting.