The Washington herald., 1914-11-24
HISTORY BUILDERS.
The Professor Who Became an
Alderman.
Cwittsn Expressly for The Herald.I
BY DIR. T.. J. EDWARDS.

, OF all the considerable faculty of Yale
during the time that William q. Sumner
was tutor and. later professor in the in
| stition he was the only one who gained
a national reputation outside OF his spe-
cial department. That was because. in
| the best sense of the word, Sumner was
a man of the world. When he returned
| from Germany. where he had spent two
years in study. he amazed and also de-
lighted the students by the unCOnven-
| tionality OF his dress. Moreover, in the
| classroom he seem d often to be greatly
occupied in studying the intellectual and
temperamental characteristics OF one or
another OF his students. He took keen
interest in politics, being especially
pleased when any one narrated to him
some anecdOte OF local political manipUla-
ton. He never entertained the same feel
ing toward those who were called
bosses" that many other scholars did.
He once said TO me that he could not
see any difference. so far as the manage
ment Of the party organization was con-
cerned. between a boss and a leader. al
though he recognized the moral and per-
sonal leadership necessary for establish
ing and maintaining party principles
i was chatting with Prof Sumner soon
after he returned TO Yale as a professor
from active work as a clergyman in the
Episcopal church. His reCtorship was, in
fact. an Illustration of his many-sided
character. He was intensely interested
in an anecdote which l narrated to him.
II was directly associated with sO-Called
machine politics | told him that a men,
ber OF the New Haven police force some
months earlier had been brought before
the police board upon charges and that
the charges were sustained and the man
was dismissed. The charges did not in
vOlve any moral turpitude. but related
TO some minor neglect of duty. This pO-
liceman did not complain, although he
felt certain that politics was the cause
Of his removal. He was sure Of that when
ward politician was appointed to hll
the vacancy created when he was re-
moved from the force. l told Prof Sum
ner that this ex-policeman bided his time
until the next election. Then his friends
nominated him for alderman and elected
him by a large majority. He was in a
position, therefore, to demand recognition
and got II when he was made a member
of the police board which. nearly a year
earlier, had removed him from the police
force.
Prof. Sumner was intensely interested
I'm this aneCdote. He said: This Illus
tratcd American politics, especially local
politics. The policeman acted in an hon
Urable way when he sought vindiCatiOn.
and he had good reason to be pleased
when he got it You can imagine his
feelings when he took his place as a
member OF the police board. II is by such
anecdotes as this that you get a good .
idea of what practical politics is. I
should like to know more about practical
politics"
Why don't you let your friends in your
ward nominate you for alderman" 1
asked.
The professor unused for a moment, but
saw by the twinkle in his eye that the
idea appealed to him. He said to me,
DO you suppose l can get the nomina-
tion?" and in reply l told him there
wasn't the slightest doubt OF it. The
next day the party leaders were told
that Prof. Summer would accept the NOM
ination for alderman Of his ward, and
these leaders were delighted. They prom
ised that he should be nominated and
would be elected. and this promise was
fulfilled.
50 1t happened that the most popular
OF Yale professors served as a member
of the New Haven board OF aldermen,
and afterwards said that his experience
in that body had been OF the greatest
value to him in his study of American
political life.
Copyright, 1914, by E. J. Edwards All rights 70
serTed.J
Tomorrow DR.. Edwards will tell How
Lincoln Regarded Hannibal Hamlin."