Evening star., 1932-12-04
POLITICS WORTH EFFORT.
SAYS FUTURE FIRST LADY
Activities of Value to Citizens When Not
for Profit, Is View of Mr.. Roosevelt.
Finds Subject Magnetic.

be valuable In connection with their
work whatever that may be.
They eventually may hold Office and
they eventually may make public Ca
reer the main work of their lives, but 1t
has always seemed to me that it was far
better for young people to establish
themselves In profession or busi-
ness before they made any public office
their main object in life. The reason
Is this. Success in political life de-
pends largely on independence Of
thought. The man who relies on his
political job for his bread and butter
is never as free as the man who knows
that If he loses the next election, or II
he is asked to resign from his appointed
job, he has sonisthing he can turn to
and his bread and butter are not at
stake.
And 1t Is not only his bread and but
ter. man or woman should have some
other interest 70 turn to II temporarily
out of office, for they are just as much
slaves II they are bound to one kind of
interest In life as when they are bound
by some material consideration.
I have known men who were tempo
rarily out of Office, at loose ends, un-
able to fix their interest on any other
kind of work and wasting their time
and forming bad habits simply because
either the electorate or their political
party leaders had not seen At to return
them to office.
Question Of Right
The value OF any man in office de-
pends on his always doing what he
thinks right without any other question
entering into his decision. In the end,
to be purely practical, he will get fur
ther If he does this, for people trust
an independent spirit and they soon
recognize integrity and singleness Of
purpose.
OF course. for young women the en-
trance into politics is by a very straight
gate indeed, and few of them as yet
have found themselves much considered
in any political positions. But that will
come gradually, and would urge young
women, even more than young men, to
go up step by step in the political or
ganization of their choice, SO they can
not be the tools of any INSCRIPTIONS
politicians.
Every woman who succeeds is open
ing wider the door for other women in
politics, and I feel that there is a great
need in this country for that which
women have to give. but like every
other great change, this will come very
gradually.
I would like to point out that It is
perhaps easier for both men and women
to enter politics In the country dis
tr1cts, but nevertheless I think It is
important that wherever they live they
should take an active part. Many of
our big cities are dominated by politi-
cal organizations, and In the past some
OF these have had unSavory regulations,
but think that day Is passing and
with 1t the old type or political boss
and political machine.
think that the more young people
enter their political organizations the
more chance we have Of separating,
not church from state alone, which
used to be the cry some centuries ago,
but business and government, which is
the essential thing today.
And so ! would urge all young people
to 60 into politics, at least to the ex-
tent OF taking a real interest and keep
ing up an accurate current knowledge
Of matters political, not primarily for
personal gain, but as citizens duty
to the state.
would urge them to have an outside
profession or business, an outside in
terest to which they can always re-
turn, but If public life attracts them
and they find they can serve, 1t will y
happy day for the state when youth
with its hopes and idealisms shares
with maturity In the government Of
any country.
(Copyrisht. 1e3z.>