The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-14
rHE MAYOR At UNION COLLEGE
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80 Dol rfiNrifgi atrakef N the iiOih haHFa
as .Hsrt n tNlrH tallsaa W day fUs
tal sts fhe Profession ~ Politics
coz Isrs sefs hsli IN me Fifsf No.
ttr.i rhufeh.
of. I'VE eons,defsA rms N me etust
.I.s fesiUgrs N thn Mayors st~eeh
ft fefefruce ~ piutfict ktt1snev
ist rs ~ f~efefteti Nv ina pubfo ~ q
Bs.i 'a stnas'@f, and adtut
10 always nehle, aften uHiist, surnr.
unsl -fueL The hsFp NJ to-day may ~
d.. ni ~ morrow, Wills .he triumphant
a. NV " Yesterday may NJ tufNed into
's ]srorinlous minority ~ lo.dRy
SIZE months y ~ Nv" Dis,ric' Attorney ~
NJ Nafpo tyrtnty wsp Tho idol N the Press.
siay s,trs NJ ,lyo-@ Vim wefr Then vpfm.
.., In hts aiproft are moat unIua,ly clamor.
ms ~, hs iovnfall. begause he has failsi
b. Hn tho imtNasible
Ntvet NcClellan sald IN nart
,ve c9ma " YOU to.dav holding 40
rra| fof either party. 9Th No desire 10
f]fnfs.,i~ have come ~ rot - speak
n, ,Ie profession ~ Witch I have tho honor
20 nsIons. IN the hope that wkAs 7 have 80
stt NAV have some slight influence IN ds'er.
MINING vou 10 make your NE work the PRO.
fssaon NJ politics.
ro not misnnders,and me ny the pro-
fasslou ~ politics do not mean tho trade
Of politics. RI" two are vastly different
4 Occasional politician NAV bs q states
nan. = political tradearnan may he y ctimi.
~. there IL M occupation more lgn6ble
NOR. sordtd. moro despicable than the trade
Of %noll'ics. There II none more inspirin q,
more capable NJ good than Ia profession.
appeal 10 ron who are about to enter
'ho world and 70 take part In it, struggle
ior existence to remember that you owe
the stat" a special duty because Of your
advantage Of education.
II IL the duty Of every citizen NJ the United
States ~ take an interest in politics. II Il
the dutv Of every educated man to take a
direct mart In politics, to treat the matter
In 'ha same spirit In which he treats other
important AFFAIR." N his life.
r YOU intend to he public spirited citizens
VOL must hear your share Of the heat and
tho burden or tho day. No man has the
right 70 ask another to do what he would
not he willing to do himself. All Of Won
should he willing to help in the government
nj the State in proportion to the measure
II ability God has given you.
There is nothing easy about the profession
NJ politics. It means hardship. self-denial.
patience. hard work, poverty. No man who
eseks a great material fortune should choose
politics for his life work. Except for the bare
necessities OF existence. money cannot hon
estly be made in politics.
There is no such hing as honest graft.
The so-called honest CRATER" il far more
IN he feared than the bank burglar. and
does far more harm than his less COW ardly
y less successful brother in States prison.
The theory that graft can under certain
circumstances he honest has done more
10 discredit a great profession than all the
mud singers, yellow Journalists and muck
rakers combined. Don't expect to succeed
In politics. don't even try for such success.
unless you are determined to preserve your
self-respect.
business, counsel fee or contract for public
or private work, graft is graft none the less
Rrisly, hideous and dishonest.
What is wanted in public life In this country
IL not so much financial integrity and money
honesty, for the average Of both is higher
with lie than with any nation on earth. but
moral courage and intellectual integrity.
We are cursed nv the worship OF oppor-
tunity. The worship Of the golden calf OF
Horeb goes hand in hand with alteration of
tho blind goddess of chance, and the prize SITS
OF the gallery are the interpreters of her
gospel. Year after year we have seen the
leaders Of government in nation, State and
municipality NOT leading in the cause OF right
eousncss IA leaders ought to do. but falling
over each other in n senseless effort to try to
interpret the popular hysterla Of the moment.
So as 10 he the first to catch the admiring
applause of the crowd.
The line of least resistance is, Of course,
the easiest line to follow. Mediocrity swims
with the tide. while greatness struggles against
II. 4 man who is swimming up stream. II
the stream is swift, has little time for any
thing clso. but he who floats with the current
has ample opportunity to cultivate admirers
m the bank.
II takes courage deliberately to breast the
popular current. There is no duty hat falls
10 a man in the profession of politics harder
than this. The I ask is one feebly applauded,
II applauded at all. and such reward as it
reaps outside Of the swimmers own con-
seriousness OF a duty done comes late. II it
'vpr comes.
II is only he who p~ractises the profession
NJ politics who turns his face deliberately
against the rush of the stream. The politi-
cal tradesman is never found by his side.
hut floats swiftly by him in the opposite direc-
tion. You who may take up the profession
Of politics should remember this, but not be
dauntcd by it. l know Of no profession in
which a thankless task well done gives the doer
quite the same measure of personal s~atisfac-
tion.
Too few men enter politics as a profession.
Too many enter 1t as a trade or as an amuse-
ment.
! cannot urge too strongly upon You the
necessity Of entering the Geld Of politics in a
healthy state Of morals. Our professional
politicians need reinforcement. and they look
70 the young men Of the country for it. There
~ sad oversupply OF political tradesmen.
There Is no royal road TO success ir poll
tics, any more than there is TO the stars. |
Success can only be obtained by hard work.
and more hard work. and more hard work.
The prizes are few. but they are az numerous
as in any other profession. and the honor OF
winning them is greater than in any other oc-
cunation that is open 10 you, The country.
needs men of integrity. for il cannot have to.
many in its ~sevrice; but 1t needs, quite as
much, men Of ability who are willing to devote
their lives to its service-men who will take
the profession of politics seriously, who will
begin at the bottom and work their way to the
top.
There are certain essentials to success in
politics without which no man should under
take its profession. and these essentials are
iour-a sense of honor. common sense. a sense
Of proportion. and last. but not least. a sense
OF humor. If you have not these leave politics
alone. Both you and the country will be
helter on. II you have these essentials. how
ever, and feel the cali of the profession, then
the whole world Is open to you. and there 10
no Office. no matter how high. to which you
may not aspire. Furthermore. il is your
Na