Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1904-05-22
SUNDAY, MAY - 1904.
SERMON OF ENCOURAGEME

SERMON OF ENCOURAGEMENT
II George B. GortelyGu is chosen
head of the publican national com
mittee, the remarkable spectacle Will
be presented of a national chairman
who has never had a days expert
cnce in practical politics, who has
never been student Of political
problems. who has never taken
positive stand on any political lssue
and who has probably failed to vote
in a majority of the election con
tests since he reached voting age.
The Atlanta Constitution says that
there is no man in public life today
who has been less identified with
politics. A native and, nomlnally,
resident of New York, the Republi-
can politicians of that state We're not
friendly to his being given cabinet
place because. they said, they dld
not know him" A lawyer by pro
fession. he has never prac'leed law
His first work after he got Through
school was as a law reporter, then ne
taught school; then went into govern
ment service as a stenographer. Ills
fist service at the white house was
while Mr.. Cleveland was president.
Mr.. CortelyGu being transferred 10
that p,.t from the postotficc depart
ment where he was Stenographer 10
the fourth assistant postmaster gen
eral. He has always made good -
and there is in that a whole sermon OF
encouragement for the young man Ill
whatever walk of life he may be.
What SOFT ii a national chairman
will Cortelyou make? The politicians
of both parties are asking that ques-
ton.
In all probability splendid one.
But il he does, he will shatter many
Mc:iticians theories. The general idea
is that the great essentials III the
head OF a party organization are vide
experience in practical politics and An
intimate acquaintance with political
issues. The accepted ideal of ma
tional chairman Is man possessing
an intuitive faculty for seizing upon
the mistakes OF the enemy and turning
them to account; che who has learn
ed the game from the bottom to the
top, and is familiar, therefore, with
every piece entering into the makeup
of the party machinery: man who
is. in short, a practical politician.
Ccrtelyou is not this, but he rs man
possessing a high order II executive
talent If the position were that or
head of great business concern. nc
body who knows him would ds"ht ms
success.
When. at the Republican national
convention in 1896, IT was mace
known that the nominee fer the 2rcs''
dency desired Marcus A. Hanna as
chairman of the national committee,
many an old-line politician turned up
his rose-tinted nose in contempt. VINO
VS. this man Hanna. anyhow? lie
had NO knowledge Of natl politics
they argued, and it would be folly 10
nut such a man at the mead CT 'ht
committee, To be sure he had hand
led McKinley's ante-conventlon cam
paign acknowledgement Il these ola
liners acknowledged this with anguish
and regret, for they had been on the
Tom Reed side-but this thing OF q
national campaign was enfTely difier
ent, they argued.
Mckinley had his way. You kno"
the rest. Hanna proved the best p
litical manager of his generatieA. Tl
be sure, he was no tyro in practical
politics. even if he had not before thai
figured in national politics, for he ha(
long been a factGr in Buckeye stats
affairs. He had that advantage oVel
George Cortelyou to start on. Blu
the latter has the advantage of find
machine which Hanna organized: ant
nobody need be surprised to see hin
develop into great campaign mana
ger.
II, as the program reads, he i
given the postofiice portfolio. as sue
cessor to the present postmaster gen