The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-09-16

lawyer Oh hiz acquaintance. vensr
able attorney 80 marked ability. Is
circulate a petition urging his nomt
nation Cor stn higher position. The
cid lawyer circulated among the mems
berl oi the bar 81 his acquaintance.
and it was considered such a 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-
TALLY; be got the nomination. and.
what's more. ne was elected. He re.
tired from once with fees Of bis OF.
nee aggregatlng about a quarter Of g
million dollars.
And instances Ike these kept the
young lawyers on the qui yive for a
possible ike happening in their cases.
But the reverse Of the medal was in
the incident OF very bright young
lawyer Of my acquaintance. Who got a
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-
cint. Then he reached out after other
precincts. and when the time came
that he could control his ward be had
arrived at the proud position OF a
ward boss" This, however, required
years Of the most unremittlng atten-
tiOn to detail. an immense amount Of
wire-pulling and strategy and 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 indlvid-
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" Ike a tin soldier.
Politics as a profession develops
shrewdness. nerve. capacity to stand |
tho gan, oratory, conversational |
powers. personal magnetism, and, in |
fact. all the accomplishments Of a
frst-class 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 befitting their hon
crable positions. Politics loosens the
action or the pecuniary nerve, for no
successful politician can be a tight
wad." He may think he can be eco
n0mical. 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 viii |
cook an angleworm. The hardened |
politicians know this only
too well. and the result implants In