Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-08
The President and of6ce-Holding.

If he is not nsauoted in the following
dispatch, which comes from Chicago. DR..
Wilson of Princeton University spoke In
that city Tuesday night with less than his
usual accuracy and felicity:
president Roosevelt owes his high posi-
ton to the fact that he was politician
who did not care to hold ofhce. sald Dr.
Woodrow Wilson, president of the Prince
ton University, last night in addressing the
annual meeting of the Twentieth Century
Club. The subject of the address was Pa
triotism'
Roosevelt was thorn in the side Of the
politicians" continued the speaker. He
attended their meetings and became one of
them but if things did not suit him he said
so. He was so sure he knew how II ought
to be done. and he was so much trouble to
the politicians. that they gave MN posi-
ton to get rid of him.
IF men would study politics, not striving
for Office. 1t would change the race OF
affairs all over the country. The DANCE OF
our age is not partsanshlp, but thai our
thoughtful men will belong to no party.
Don't form yourself into = third party.
Don't isolate yourself Go into the arena
and take your active part
AS matter of fact, Mr.. Roosevelt has
been a persistent consistent and successful
seeker of office and it's opportunities ever
since he left school. He made almost
bee line from Harvard University TO the
lower house Of the New YORK legislature,
where he served with distinction and much
promise for the future. He in turn then
became United States civil service commits
sioner, New York police commissioner
assistant secretary of the navy, colonel of
the Rough Riders in the Spanish war, gov
ernor of New York and Vice President of
the United States. His one unsuccessful
attempt was in a race for the mayoralty of
oh, ,ocf
continuously for twenty-odd years, partly
by appointment and party by the popular
choice; but he was always glad to get
there. and always abundantly justified his
selection.
The high credit which attaches to Mr..
Roosevelt's career is that he never sought
office for it's emoluments, or for the mere
advertisement of holding the place. His
income was larger than the salary of any
of his places, and, until after the Spanish
war his reputation as an author and all
round man of thought exceeded that, graft
flying as it was, proceeding from any Of his
performances as a political executive. The
country saw and applauded, the man who
might have been mere swell and fashion,
able dawdler, or closet philosopher de-
voting his time to reading and writing.
seeking Office for the opportunity 1t would
afro0 him of putting opinions of his own
into action. and filling Office as strenuously
as any conscientious man who was eating
his daily bread in the sweat OF his official
face
DR.. Wilson's advice to young men to take
sides in politics and go in for rssults in
practical way is admirable. This is a gov
eminent not only of the people, but of all
sorts of people. and its affairs must be
shaped with a view of benefiting all. The
man who aims at perfection and will accept
nothing less than that is never a serious
quantity in our equation. He has only his
own ideas OF perfection to guide him, and
in the case of the dreamer or the overly
nice they are likely to be miles away from
the real article. Popular government is the
government of compromise anil OF the
everyday