Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-09
POLITICAL advancement for the

4 lolSl llSEtb i'i Wv
l. young man who is not lawyer. and
who starts out to make politics bust
ness. follows q long, tiresome and rocky
road.
This is. of course. unless he is spo-
cially endowed with qualifications that
attract the attention of the leaders Of
his party or is in possession of or can
control money sufficient to finance cam
paigns.
One other class Of young men who
become politically prominent do so be-
cause they are tcchniclans or possess
high attainments demanded by some par
ticular position.
In this latter class are such men as
George s. Webster. Doctor Furbush.
Carleton f. Davis. w. s. Twining and
A. Lincoln Acker. Mr.. ACker, while
politically prominent. ranks in his pres.
cnt position as a specialist because of
his business training along collateral
lines.
r EADERS in municipal politics, those
II who hold high place in official life.
are without exception men who have
come up through long years Of service
in the ranks.
gain transient political notoriety now
adays is to force himself to the front in
some sporadic movement whose exist
ence terminates with the campaign
which called it into existence.
He becomes q ''near politician for
n month or so, and then his light goes
out.
Even then the sine qua non is some
snecial adaptability some qualifications.
such as an organizer, "a guy with
gift of CAB" or the posscssor of an ever
ready check book.
THERE is not, fancy. ward leader
l. in Philadelphia who has not served
his apprenticeship as precinct worker
door bell puller or window book man.
Certain political distinctions are ac-
corded prominent men as n reward for
party allegiance, distinguished ability
or financial aid. such as presidential
electorship or memberships on commits
sions. These rank merely as transltory
honors.
Their recipients are the wall flowers
on the spreading vine of party organi-
zation. 49,. -.
They are the lilies of political life,
who toll not neither do they spin.
They give time and money for the
nrivilege and distinction of serving.
Governor WILLIAM A. STONE
" began his career in Harrisburg as
transCribing clerk in the House of
Representatives.
Thomas McCamant. afterward audi
for general, started as clerk in the
office of the secretary of the common
wealth.
lane s. Hart, late state printer, and
T N Forster. subsequently insurance
commissioner, began as clerks at $1,000
year in the Office of the auditor gen
Henry Houck, for forty years deputy
sunerintendent of public instruction,
was once q minor clerk in the school
General Levi G. McCaulcy. who rose
70 be auditor general, was at one time
assistant sergeant at arms OF the
Senate.
county, was a transcribing clerk of the
House.
gressman from the Dauphin district and
renuted millionaire. had his first intro
auction TO state poltcr as an $500 a
wear clerk at Harrisburg.
Senator David Martin when young
man was employed in the folding and
nasting room of the House.
James X. McAfee. subsequently dep
utv secretary of the commonwealth,
frst secured footing as an assistant
clerk in the House.
The list might be extended indef-
nitelv as illustrative of the fact that
there is no royal road to success in
politics.
THE powers that hold men who are
l. mast fifty years of age in politics
are have discovered, money or the
lure of the game. ,.
I refer now to politicians who have
ohtsined fairly commanding and con-
snicuous position, say from ward or
county leader up. There is an attrar-
tion about the pursuit entirely aside
from the question of money or sense
of nublic duty. 1t Is as the smell of the
circus tanbark in the nOstrils of the
There are men welding political
nowor in the state who are aCtuated by
anothcr motive which runs parallel with
the love of battle; that is the love of
po~' V" =, L. Magee, Bob AIackey.
Senator Quay, Israel w. Durham and
James p. McNichol felt the sway of this
influence.
| doubt not that the same feeling,
combined with love of combat and the
matching of wits upon the highest plane
of political diplomacy, has in his career
been quite as strong an incentive to