Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-11-02
The Politician
His Career Was Incompati-
BILE With Winning
a Wife
By r. A. mitchell


"My son." said my father-he held
the position of governor of ~hiSstate-4I
admonish you never to take any part In
politics."
One might as well have cautioned
another to refrain from becoming an
%aeronaut while looking at a man flying
about like a bird. l vas accustomed
to see my father courted. He was the
central figure of the state. Persons
were continually striving to influence
his presence at dinner, at public meet
ings and at social gatherings. 1t seem
ed to me that of all men he was the
most to be envied. Had he eschewed
politics these honors would not have
come to him.
1t was not to be expected, then, that
l would follow his admonition. Per-
haps l had inherited some of his pro-
pensity to manipulate men, moldine
them to his purpose. At any rate,
when a .school l secured the election OF
the president of my class by distribut
ing the other honors among the differ
ent cliques, or lunches, as we called
them, of the scholars. This was a be.
ginning which l hoped to turn tony
own account. There were several
years ahead of us In the school, and
before we were graduated l counted
on being class president myself.
This l accomplished. was made
president for the last year, not because
in a free election l would have been
chosen, but because l had put my nom.
nation and election In the hands OF
those whose election to various posi-.
lions during the three previous years
had secured. The concentrated effort
of these scholars landed me In the GOV.
eted chair to the exclusion of the most
popular member of the class.
At college l developed a faculty fol
talking on my feet" to those who were
willing to listen to me. I don't remem
Der that l ever said anything that was
worthy of a place among American
orations, but the fact that.I could poui
forth a torrent of words gave me prom
inence. l had advanced from my posi-
ton as manipulation, and at college re-
lied on the class wire workers to push
me forward. The consequence was that
when class day came around these gen.
tlemen landed me for class orator. l
have read my Grafton some years after
1t was delivered. and If there was n
original idea in it | failed to discover 1t.
The true politician is not born, like
an animal. He, rather, grows slowly.
like a tree. In the wicked politician
the villainy is born all at once. In the
superpolitician the villainy is never
born at all. There Is always some
one to do the dirty work. The princi-
pal never wears rubber gloves.
The son of the governor, I was not
expected to do dirty work. The gov
himself had begun rather low,
and, though l did not know it, surely
l suspected that he had done some
questionable work. There were GER
tain f1ashy men sporting massive jew
elry who when alone with him called
him Frank. He called them Tom and
Bill and Pat in return when he couldn't
help it, but when he came to occupy
his first important Office he got up on
his dignity, and when one of his old
pals called him Frank he turned him
down.
When my father noticed that ! was
working small groups of those who
wanted office or a job or something
like that-for l began to work my home
city before l got out of college-he look
ed very soul upon me and remarked,
"You can't make a silk purse out of a
sow's ear"
Further than this he did not reprove
me-, but he did caution me to keep
within the law and always turn the
dirty work over to some M else.
After being graduated ] studied law
and became an attorney. Some men
are appreciated for less than they are
really worth and some for more. ]
think | belonged to the latter class.
1 was considered a prominent young
man, and l took care by maintaining
a certain reserve to foster this idea.
My advice was usually asked on points
concerning municipal matters and mat
tiers OF state. l never failed to take
time before giving a reply OF to as
sumo an air of wisdom upon pronOunc-
ing my decisions.
One summer while visiting a friend
at his fathers country place fell in
love with his sister, Eleanor. She was
a girl of character, always looking up.
never down. / don't mean hat she
was angling for an establishment. On
the contrary. she decided everything
on principle. She admired men of true
worth. Naturally, being in love with
her, l strove to appear as such a man.
I was well practiced in the art and
succeeded in impressing her as what a
woman would describe as a mobile.
good man."
One morning after having read the
newspaper she came to me quite radi-
ant and said:
II see it announced that your fellow