Evening star., 1938-08-24

| Vgnt ana tHe lessons ne learned
in it.
TOPEKA. Kans.. Aug. "a tN.AN.A).
There is always something to do.
Poor is the man who cannot actively
live and work l6 hours day. am
rich in that I can. am convinced
that l can best serve my party and
my country as private citizen.
On my trips to my work in the oil
field l can talk politics, not as can
didate, but fellow citizen. with the
lunch-counter man as l did in the
old days. while l eat sandwich
Very likely he knows more about
politics than the wholesaler who sold
him the bread and meat on which the
sandwich was made. In that case the
fault is the wholesalers. The time
he spends in growing about how
badly we are governed he better spend
in down-to-the- ground work in poll
tics If he wants his ideas to prevail
For I want to make 1t clear that
my Statement-'I will not be candi-
date in 1910 and l will not accept the
that the Republican National Conven-
ton would offer it to me"-does not
mean that l shall give up politics.
/ This reservation, does not imply any
ambition to be a boss behind the
scenes. The man in Office be he
President, Governor. mayor or county
supervisor. should be the boss Then
We know where the real executive
/ power is located. where to bring the
force of public opinion to bear.
! Politics. as l use the word. deals
with how we are governed and with
influence on public policies Websters
definition of politician is "one versed
or experienced in the science of gov
ernment." l want my say as to how
l shall be governed. as an inalienable
right of American citizenship.
| Investment of Experience"
Without running for Office. or be-
ing run for Office. 1 shall realize on
the investment of my experience by
spreading my views TO as large
circle as will listen to them. II this
circles consists only of friends and
profitable time without feeling too
/ selfmportant. They can get at me
/ to answer back in the free discussion
which is the life blood OF democracy.
Even before l was old enough to
vote took an active interest in
politics. When I was through coll
lege it became a direct practical in
terest as & precinct worker. This
seemed the right way. the way of
work as opposed to words, to learn
, how We were governed: and, once
I had learned. to apply by knowledge
in having my say about how my
community, and then the country,
State and Nation should be governed
Government is by organiza ton and
| human understanding. Good Govern
ment Is in getting the best out of
/ organization and human nature.
! Among my visitors TO Topeka when
l was being considered for the nomi-
nation was a successful upright busi-
ness man. I recall his surprise at
my answer to his question if I ever
played politics.
Il play politics all the time. Other
wise We could not have accomplished
/ what we have in Kansas"
This business man looked down on
politics as low occupation. He
wanted business man in the White
! House. If l had been exclusively a
business man, a banker. a lawyer or
professor, with no practical ex-
| perience in politics. should have
considered myself unequipped to be
/ President
Chance for Youth.
This brings me to the most vital
lesson out of my own career in poll
tics. In this era of rapid political
evolution, of universal doubt and in
| quiry. when the boldest of prophets
are hesitant about predicting the fu-
! ture. remind young men and women
that there is no more of short cut
or a golden road to efficiency in
politics than in their own occupa-
| tions. l appeal to them to give some
of their time to the actual practice
of politics by starting at the bottom
in the precinct. as l started.
The people have the final say, and
may they always have it. If you do
not like people. you will learn to like
them. Your blood will be warmed by
their fellowship. If you do not like
politics. you will learn to like poll
tics. There is no other sound and
practical way to protect the people in
making the best use of their right to
govern.
But this appeal is only to those
whose faces are in the light. I trust
that all whose faces are in the dark
will be content to sit on the sidelines,
ineffectively growing
You cannot have too broad a range
OF knowledge or experience, which en-
ables you to look into the minds of all
manner of men and differentiate the
genuine from the specious. Make the
most of the vehicles OF the times in
which you live.
| Where the young man with political
amoltlonS used to study oratory in the
days OF Webster and Clay. he should
now study radio delivery. but not for
| getting, AS We learn better how to
make the radio an honest servant,
that he must not only have something
to say, but he must act in keeping with
what he says.
Lincoln on the Radio,
We may ask how Theodore Roose-
welt S voice. which naturally broke into
falsetto at times, would have compared
with Franklin's over the radio. Or
Grover Cleveland's? Or Lincoln's?
From all accounts, Jefferson's voice
would have been unsuited to the radio
But if these men, who certainly had
something to say had made their start
in politics in this era. we may be sure
that they would learn how to carry
their thoughts over the air convinc-
ingly, If not with the finished technique
OF the radio announcer.
Far from the day-dreams which
make the presidency the lure of men
who hold high public office, it is not
| w in,