Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-14
PREPARATION FOR POLITICS.
One Should Be Able to Talk and Write
Good English.

Arthur T. Hadley President of Yale University, ir
| Harper's Weekly.
am asked how it is possible for young
! man best to fit himself for entrance into
| the field of practical politics. and whether
any addition to present university courses
would help him; also, conceding the neces-
sity of machine" politics. how he can best
learn how to deal with them. L will give
two or three suggestions which have oc-
Cured to me.
With regard to preliminary training for
men who expect to go into politics after
ward there is not 4 great deal to be said.
The methods of getting into politics and OF
staying in politics differ greatly I'm different
localities and with different individuals.
and the necessary training varies CORE
spondingly. But there are a few things
which are of the very greatest use. and
which can be commended to all men who
have ambitions in this direction.
In the first place. they must learn TO put
their thoughts into good plain English The
ability to write and speak in such a way
that other people will understand just az
soon as possible is perhaps more vital in
this field than it is anywhere else. II is
astonishing to see how readily the voters
will grasp at a good idea If it is presented
to them without unnecessary membranes.
L am satisfied that much of the alleged
reluctance of people in general to accept
the views of college men on some of these
subjects arises from the inability of college
men to express those views in such shape
that they will be understood
Next in Importance to a good knowledge
of English L should place a knowledge of
how TO look for facts which are not gen
orally known. Whether this training comes
through classes in history, or In statistics.
or in political economy, is a matter of
minor fmportance-it may even come
through the use of a Greek dictionary.
which at times furnishes most excellent
practice in this very habit of discovering
facts not generally known.
The next question is whether man shall
begin his political life as a professional or
as an amateur; whether 1t shall be as "A
means of livelihood, as an Independent
occupation. AS things stand at present,
the latter course seems preferable. If pol
iticS is a mans only means of livelihood the
temptations to sell his birthright for mess
of pottage are too frequent. / think L
should advise man who looks toward
political career to train himself either as a
lawyer or as journalist, and have one of
these two callingS to fall back on il politics
goes against him for a time. l should then
advise him to find some leader whom he re-
spects and honors, and attach himself TO
this mans fortunes. BY doing so he can
probably learn methods of work better than
in any other way.
1t is important for any man who goes
into politics to remember that the tangible
work which he accomplishes as a legislator
or officeholder may be very small in COM
pariSon with his intangible influence upon
public opinion. 1t is public opinion, after
all, which is the main force that governs
the country. A man who goes into politics
with high and honorable ambitions must
never forget that he can do this work of
educating public sentiment. The remem-
brance of this will save him from discour-
agement in the face of apparent failure. .
and will give him that widened range of
vision and increased steadiness of purpose
which is necessary TO make him a true
leader.