The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-07-10

rorigInal.I

military or naval heroes. My heroes
we're always statesmen. / didn't
aspire to be a statesman myself, bat
lid aspire to be politically prominent.
Before l was old enough TO vote was
running the politics of the ward In
which lived. Every one said, Watch
him; he VIII some day be great po.
litical manager"
But II there were elements in me to
advance me there seemed to DO those
to pub me back. l didn't seem 10
forge steadily onward. l would go up
peg and fall back two pegs. Yet
was energetic and pushing. When
ever a campaign was on l would 60
10 the leaders of my party and give
them my views as 10 how the cam
paign should DO managed. They al
ways listened to me attentively and
seemed to be impressed. Sometimes
they took my advice and sometimes.
they didn't. But, while was always
prominent in general way. somehow
I was not selected to I'LL any promi-
nent position.
One day my friend Crook said to me:
"There is one thing of supreme impor-
lance that Is a blank In your mind.
You don't realize that no great success
can be made in this world except by
hanging on to some one else's coat
tail. IL should give you a glass to
enable you to see 1t in that light, you
would behold line of men each hang
Ing ON TO the skirt of the man ahead
of him, like the tail of kite reaching
clear up into the sky. These are the
successes. Those who are drifting
about below figuring by themselves
never get anywhere. Now. know
Phunnyman, who is our candidate for
governor. He is an original and a
genius; never does anything like any
body else. have influence with him.
for In one small respect he is a hanger
on to my coattail. He told me the
other day he was looking for a secre-
tary for the coming campaign work
If you like I'll get the position for
you"
shake. old man" said you've hit
the nail on the head
The next day my friend informed me
that he had told the candidate for gov.
ernor sll about me, frankly including
u6y I'll success. Phunnyman had
thought moment, then said in his
buick way: "Send him to me. | can
make use of him."
! was engaged by the candidate at
salary of $500 month as. assistant
secretary. He had a secretary who did
all the work. occupying much high
er position. / became sort OF polit-
fcal confidential adviser. Whenever
anything Of Importance would come up
he would take me into his private
room, tell me all about it and ask my
opinion as TO the best course to pursue
The right way always came TO me at
once, 1t seemed, by intuition. and
never had to deliberate. Phunnyman
was very secretive man and never
said. ''You are right" or you are
wrong" He made no comment what
ever: but, since he continued to consult
me, / concluded be found my advice
valuable.
OF course my position was very
pleasant one. A box of cigars was al
ways at my disposal. and decanter
with glasses was kept in closet for
me. Phunnyman almost always took
me out to lunch with him, for 1T was
then that he could best confide all the
various problems that came up before
him. There's no sphere which requires
such constant exercise Of judgment as
politics. Not day but number of
questions came up, and many Of them
had to be settled at once. There's
where my faculty for recognizing the
pith of a question came In.
Well, Phunnyman was elected by
the biggest majority any candidate had
received for sixteen years. When 1t
was all over supposed he would take
all the credit to himself, but be didn't.
/ was ut bis house the night Of the
election. where u telegraph apparatus
had been set up. and ais soon as suffi-
Gent returns had come In to insure
his election he grabbed me by the
hand, exclaiming joyfully: TITS all due
to you, my boy. IL it hadn't been for
your advice I'd have been defeated In
every county"
New, that's what ! call honor where
honor is due. The governor retained
me In my position, for you must know
that the .Josition brings more prob
lens than a campaign to get 1t. He
doubled my salary, and there wasn't a
man in the state that had a better
position than I. Besides, | had lots Of
opportunities to make money through
information l possessed, and / made
it every time, though in this no judy
ment was required. ] simply bought |
when got the tip.
When Phunnyman was sent to the
United States senate he took me with |
him. He didn't have much use for my
advice there, for he was obliged to do |
as the party leader directed, SO asked |
him to make me secretary In reality |
as well as In name. This he declined |
to do, and, having secured compe.
tency, / left him.
Phunnyman died in the senate. Aft |
er his death Crook. who had got me
my position with him, showed me
letter of thanks the governor had sent |
him the day after his election to that
office. In 1t he said:
.There is right and a wrong de
cision ON most questions. judged |
from what you told me of his failures
fhaf x.ottr friand ALWAYS dncfdad xvrnun