The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1911-01-06

not help it. well, you've got
nerve, there's no doubt of that. /
stop at this bookstore"
"I'll go along. l want to deliv-
er a homily with that laugh of
yours as a text"
But this time Bob needed no aid
from the laxative stranger; the
present was for Kathleen. AS
with the discriminating eye of the
book-lover Bob chose a superbly
bound set of Shakespeare, the
young man exclaimed,
"By Jove! / envy the one who
gets this present! You love
books?"
"They are my chief extrava-
gance."
The young man surveyed him
thoughtfully. Il hadn't expected
it of you"
"WellS'' he continued, when
they were once more on the street,
ito my homily and your laugh.
Now that was a sorry affair. 1t
was too awkward and incomplete,
the laugh of man who considers
it a luxury not a necessity, and
consequently uses it but seldom.
Here is the way to laugh" He
threw back his head and gave vent
to ringing, mellow laugh q, that
was a pleasure to hear. Now that
is the chief trouble with you and
your plan of existence; you don't
exercise your risibles enough, lit
orally and figuratively speaking
Let laughing stand for the little
indulgences and qualifications, the
rest from driving ambition, the
frank friendships-the sweet
things of life, in short. The lack
of these cripples the possibilities
of your life. Laugh more and
you will be better liked"
Have you thousand wives?"
Bob affected to jeer, although in
truth he was beginning to listen
intently.
mo, have none. l am a wise
man" was the swift retort. You
have accomplished more than any
young man | know of. You are
the third strongest man politically
in the city. You are apparently
rich. You have accomplished
this by dint of sheer strength,
leaving out entirely the question
of personal popularity. That's
the weak spot in your armor.
Now you have chosen politics as
your particular field. SO have l."
Then l guessed right" Bob
said to himself, and the amused
CLEAN died out of his eyes.
| Downright brute strength and
the fear inspired by it have car
ried you through so far, but if you
are going further you must con-
slider the question of personal pop
ularity. A man may boss a ward
or district, where he comes
more or less into personal touch
with the people, by strength of
personality. But the wider the
area, the thinner and less effec-
| tive becomes this influence. Fear
decreases in proportion to the
square of the distance from the
| fear object, whereas popularity
increases in the same proportion.
| The American people will fear and
obey man because of his strength
as far as they can feel it directly.
But they will love a shadow or
1.-THE creature of their own mag
| ination, and the farther removed
the object, the more deeply they
love him. eGt the public into the
habit of loving man and they
will keep on loving him-just be-
cause they love him."
That's not true" Bob inter-
jeeted sharply. do you know
more about any other subject than
Iyou do about politics?"
20, I know politics." the young
man said calmly. 81 know the
power of money and of the big
corporations and financiers whom
you and I know to be the kings
in politics. l am speaking of the
politicians, who stand to capital
in the relation of attorney to eli
ent. / have studied the big po-
litical men of our country closely,
and every manjack of them has
been personally popular or, at
least, able to make himself an at
tractive public figure. In our
own city take Steele for example.
1t was his personal popularity
that held his organization togeth-
err; when he died, it died. 1t was
the lack of it that killed Harmon.
1t is the lack of it that will put
+ MACPHERSON out within the next
five or six years. 1t is the lack OF
it that will keep you out, if any
thing can, of control of the city,
at which l shrewdly guess you are
aiming"
Perhaps you intend to capture