The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-25
How to Learn Trade Of Statesmanship

~ AM a statesman--or a public man, X you
wildly desire, and not by accident
There Is a popular Impression that men
4 In public life are chiefly nnAue by timex
pected turns In the wheel OF fortune, and
that most OF the successful statesmen OF the
present day are those who have launched
their careers when tho tide OF opportunity
was at Its highest. This Is not entirely
true; in fact, think a careful study OF the
greater part OF those who have succeeded In
that field have prepared for 1t as q man pre-.
pares for any other career In life.
! know II vas so In my case. My parents
designed mo for craftsmanship from my
earliest boyhood. ] was prepared for college
by private tutors, and after I graduated
from one OF our foremost eastern seats OF
Earning read law With two eminent prac.
tltioners, and after being admitted to tho
bar began tho practice Of my profession in
one OF the populous cities OF the United
States
Eyes Open for Main Chance.
All the time kept one eye on the law and
the other on tho drift OF political conditions.
Finally my chance came. stood as an inde-
pendent candidate for the legislature and
was elected. demonstrated my ability TO
such an extent that the organization took
me UP before the end OF myterm. and there's
after was reelected as q regular party can
dldate. From the lower house I went to the
state senate, and as q consequence OF that
became at various times a delegate to state
and national conven tons Of my party. In
She course OF a few years was elected to
congress. where I am now reg arded-It think
can say 1t In all moo esty--as one OF tho
influential members.
y had been undergoing careful training
for the difficult science OF statecraft, De-
spits assertions to the contrary, man can
serve An apprenticeship and study for states
manship. literature, and art just as well as
he can for law or medicine or Journalism.
Early in life l mastered the principles OF
political economy, and after that made a
patient study OF legislative practice and
parliamentary law. Hence there 10 no man
In congress who has more intimate knowl-e
edge OF the processes OF legislation than
have.
Oratory Amounts to Little.
Let me say toth young men OF the nation
that nothing IL more important to public
man than this intimate and positive knowl-
edge. 1t Is all well to get up and make a
towery3 speech. but eloquence rarely affects
the votes In a legislative body, and he man
who understands the intricacies OF legisla-
ton. who knows the meaning conveyed in the
OF a bill to n certain committee.
and who has the influence TO push 1t through
a committee and get It before the house. is
always valuable man TO his constituency,
and man who is valuable to his constituents
is bound to further his own personal and
political fortunes.
= One OF the things that asprants for stat es-
must learn Is the art of silence. The
late Matthew Stanley Quay who was reck-
oned as the prince OF politicians. was great
stickler for this. His advice was always
against indiscriminate talking. He used to
say that there might be occasions when 1t
was necessary to say something to the public.
but when such occasions arose he believed
in having his say couched In words that wero
crisp and significant. A man who can con-
troll his tongue often obtains reputation
for wisdom that he really does not deserve
NO one understood the value OF training for
politics better than Senator Quay. He said
on one occasion:
III have known successful business men T
who stood at the head OF their particular
calling, who wondered why they were not