The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1908-09-02

q lawyer Of his acquaintance, veneer
able attorney of marked ability. to
circulate Q petition urging his nomi-
nation for . still higher position. The
old lawyer circulated among the MEM
bers Of the bar Of his acquaintance.
and 1t was considered such . good
joke that he got many prominent and
influential names Of lawyers who
never gave a thought to the possible
nomination of the young fellow. The
petition aided the aspirant substan-
italy; he got the nomination. and
what's more, he was elected. He re-
tired from Office with fees Of his Of
fee aggregating about q quarter Of .
million dollars.
And instances like these kept the
young lawyers on the qui vive for q
possible like happening in their cases.
But the reverse of the medal was in
the incident of q very bright young
lawyer Of my acquaintance. who got
nomination, lost the election, took to
whisky as a cure, established a
touching route" where he collected
dollars, half-dollars and quarters for
awhile. and then died shortly after. a
victim to the political bug" and the
whisky bug" combined, than which
no more fatal and totally destructive
combination was ever invented.
The most successful of the local
politicians were those who had lived
in one ward all their lives. who had
made politics their life-game, and
who could deliver the delegates" In
conventions. as the delegates made
the nominations, the more delegates
a man absolutely controlled the more of
a power he was. The young and am
bilious political worker always started
out to control the delegates in his pre-
clint Then he reached out after other
precincts. and when the time came
that he could control his ward he had
arrived at the proud position of a
ward boss" This. however, required
years of the most unremitting atten-
ton to detail, an immense amount OF
wire-pulling and strategy and a rigid
distribution on as even terms as pos
sible of all patronage" which might
come his way. The delegates were
usually very much the same individ-
uals from year to year. They might
be shifted from one convention ticket
to another. but the names of the
faithful" would be pretty sure to
turn up annually, unless In case of
death, and in that event someone
would be selected who could be Con
trolled" like tin soldier.
Politics as q profession develops
shrewdness. nerve, capacity to stand
the GAIT" oratory. conversational
powers, personal magnetism, and, in
fact, all the accomplishments of a
firstclass confidence man. Although,
of course, all confidence men are not
politicians. Needless to say, no sug-
gestion is here made to statesmen"
These gentlemen do not mix with vul-
gar municipal politics. but get elected
to senatorial and other Offices and
never get their names mixed up in any
scandal save one BETTING their hon.
Orable positions. Politics loOsens the
action of the pecuniary nerve, for no
successful politician can be a tight
wad" He may think he can be eco
nomical. but he can't be. He may fig
ure on what it is going to cost as to-
main outlay. but "perquisites" will eat
him up quicker than nitric acid will
cook an angleworm. The hardened
professional politicians know this only
too well, and the result implants in