The evening world., 1908-10-27
WAGNER'S CAREER
LESSON TO YOUNG
MAN IN POLITICS
Has Earned Promotion by Per-
siStent Work for Interest
of His Constituents.

There is a lesson for every young man
Interested in politics as a profession in
the career of Robert F. Wagner. Demo-
cratic candidate for the Senate in the
Sixteenth District. which lies up York
willie way. Mr.. Wagner was elected to
the Assembly for the first time four
years ago and went to Albany with
single purpose.
That purpose was to work primarily
for the interests Of the people OF his dis
trict: secondly. for the interests OF the
people of the state at large. Doubtless
a majority of young men who are sent
to the Assembly are animated by the
same purpose when they start, but a
majority of them fall by the way side.
Mr.. Wagner stuck to his purpose, with
the result that the people he has served
so well In the Assembly are going to
send him to the Senate for two years.
Their object now is to make his election
as near unanimous as possible.
Stuck to His Constituents.
BY his persistency in following the
course he mapped out for himself Mr..
ticians. \ few of these men would have
liked to push him back into private life,
but they were afraid to take the chance,
They knew he had his constituency be-
hind him, and therein lies the lesson
for young men in politics:
Stick to your constituents and your
constituents will stick to you,
Mr.. Wagner was born in Germany, but
came to New York with his parents
when an infant. His father settled in
the district in which lie is now a can
didate, Young Robert went 10 Public
School No. 50. and after school hours
and on Saturdays sold newspapers in
order to help out the not overly pie
thoric income OF the head of the family
After his graduation from No. So
school the boy. Wagner, entered the
College of the City of New York. He
spent five years in that institution. earn
Ing his own way part of the time, by
acting as a private tutor. on two differ
ent occasions lie was pronounced the
prize debater OF the college, and when
he graduated in 1895 he was awarded the
highest honors. Next he entered the
New York Law School, from which he
=
to the bar in the same year and imme-
diately entered upon the practice of law
as member of the firm of Mahoney <
Wagner. No. 2c9 Broadway.
In Politics Early.
He was an election district captain as
soon as lie was old enough to vote and
before long had made himself a power
IN the counties of his district organiZa-
ton. In lsOi they nominated him for
the Assembly and lie was elected. He
served in the Assembly in 1905. 1906 and
member OF the importau, Assembly
Committee on Cities the ma jority OF
wh!ci! Is made NJ Of rural members from
upstate. Mi. Wagner, by standing out
eNe'y occasion wnta TIE III. al members
;T.Cu 10 side something over on TIE peo-
pie below the bronx, made himself some
VIA. unDopI.2" with certain elements
in tne Legislature. nut solicited himself
n.s ally Win tLn people at ZONE.
lie gained q Statewide reputation by
tntruu.c..5 and forcing TO passage
the Evening World Dl!l calling for
fiveCent fare to Concy Island. Few
bills introduced in the Legislature IN
recent %ea:s net HitA such powerful
underground opposition rs aid lis one.
aHu few Young legislators have e"ev
litival AL corporation pressure tina:
vas cNeltcd against Ny Wagner.
folding steadlas: to lis programme
Ar Wagner fought for the bill and /.
would he on the statute books to-day
but for the veto II Coy. Hughes. NJ
Warner introduced another important
rncds''rc, calling for the regulation OF
the New YORK stock Exchange, nut the
Interests H. opposition to this were
powerful enough 10 temporarily smother
IL
These achievements measure only a
small part Of Air, Wagner's labors in
IN. Assembly. but they attracted the
mos attention. lie Is pledged. II
elected t. the Senate. to reintroiuce
Z Five-Cent Fare bill and the Stock
E%enanso Regulation biz.
MIR. WGSners personal following In
his dIs:i!ct is immense. H knows
everybody, ana everybody knows him.
He Is President of the Algonquin Club /
ana d member OF the Arion Society, the /
Mozart Ncr'.n. the l.Iks the Eagles, /.
The Ilish- American Athletic Club. the |
NJ" Rochelle Yach: Cluo and a NAM
be" Of charitable organizations, /