Evening star., 1923-03-11

try needs men that are practical busi-
ness men; for, after all, the affairs
Of this country are the same as those
Of big firm or corporation. We
have business men in other official
bodies; then why not in Congress?
When l broached the subject to
the head of the family. she thought I
was joking, but after I demonstrated
that it was not impossible she was
sold to the idea and became as en-
thusiastc as ] was.
Don't think for minute that I did
not know what l was up against, for
i did: but figured that if 1 had been
success as salesman for these
many years I could deliver the goods
that ] had TO sell just as we'll as 1
did when / was on the road, for that
experience OF selling things certainly
gives you a great education as far as
the public is concerned, and when
man has crossd this country sixty
eight times and been up and down
the western coast over one hundred,
as / have, it sharpens his wits and
gets him to thinking. Besides, it
shows him what the people really
want. The old-time political boss
could not get the present-day view of
the people The old backroom stuff
is gone. The public wants to know
who you are. what YOU have done and
what you propose to do. and you have
to deliver the goods if YOU want to
continue in their favor.
speaking about salesmanship,
maybe you think that it was easy,
number of years ago. for me to come
east and sell western lumber, to sell
red cedar shingles against all sorts
of opposition, but 7 did it because I
was honest in my talks. And it is
the same way in politics. You have
to believe in what you are selling to
the public and then you have to make
them realize that what you have to
offer is the very thing that they
need-salesmanShip.
why, the greatest feat Of the kind
was during the war, when hundreds
of us. all over the land. made four
minute talks. We sold billions to
the people and made q world
record-one that I earnestly hope will
never again be equalled, for wars
are horrible.
ITO return to the subject of my
H.
meeting of speciality statesmen found
that I had struck responsive chord
and that they agreed with me that
the proportion of business men in
Congress was too small. You know
that in that body, there are 332 law
yers and only forty-eight business
men-rather too small a representa-
ton.
ssEINDING that my views on the
subject met with their approval,
1 was greatly heartened, because il
there is any class of men that are
thorough in making decisions and
studies OF conditions speciality sales
men are the ones. IT,, .-..-
81 was not satisfied to have q man
simply say that he was for me. want
ed him to be for me, first, last and all
the time, because it was best for his in
terests that be selected to be the can
didate for Congress, and after getting
the nomination I wanted him to be an
active, not a passive supporter. So
asked them to be members Of my cam
paign committee and to get out and
sell me to the rest of the voters. did
not want merely Yes, l am with you,
old man supporters. l wanted fellow
salesmen, to help me sell the idea to the
rest of the voters.
"When you get a lot of good citizens
plugging for you it gives you a greater
desire, If possible. to make good. You
simply have to make good for their
sakes. quickly realized that 1, an un-
known factor, had to get out and let the
people see just what sort Of citizen
was and what I stood for. I spoke, on
an average, ten times week before the
campaign really opened. I gave ad-
dresses in churches. at base ball parks,
at prize fights, at civic bodies, before
all kinds and sorts Of organizations, and
/ let the people know just what stood
for. Idid not duck er daaEe. Z did- not