Political Principles and Their Actual Practice

Under the auspices of the Republican Club, two interesting speeches were delivered in the Training Table Room of the Union last evening by Hon. L. A. Frothingham '93, of Boston, a member of the Board of Overseers and an important candidate for Lieutenant-Governor next year, and Hon. R. M. Washburn '90, of Worcester, member of the State House of Representatives.

Mr. Frothingham spoke largely on political principles, outlining what the people really expect of a man in political life. The only thing that induced him to enter politics, he remarked, was that the machine said he could not win; in the same way many apparently one-sided issues, when left to the people, are decided in a wholly unexpected manner. Sincere and helpful criticism of men and institutions with which the young politician comes in contact, an inflexible maintenance of his word, come what may, and an attitude towards the people while not too cordial and familiar, yet open-minded and careful of their interests, are some of the most fundamental elements of success. It does not make so much difference to what party you belong or what candidate you support as long as you firmly believe in that party and that candidate. One of the hardest things the college man has to meet is the routine work in politics, which sometimes seems to him like drudgery; but if he resolves to freely and earnestly give and take criticism, to keep his word through thick and thin, and to maintain an even and open attitude toward his constituents, marked success cannot but come his way.

Mr. Washburn talked chiefly on what the college man has done in politics, especially in the Republican party. He advised all men intending to enter a political career to make themselves efficient in public speaking, citing the instances of some of the greatest orators, who only attained their eminence by hard, persistent work.

A man in serving the people should not be too much one of them; he should have high standards of truth and honor of his own which would enable him to lead the people rather than follow them. An excellent example of the influence of the college-bred man was exhibited in the Jerome fight in New York; when college men bore the brunt of the long and gruelling campaign against the Tammany thugs.

Mr. Washburn spoke highly of the services of President Roosevelt and of Senator Lodge as representing the great value Harvard men could be in politics, and urged, in closing, that every college man who had the smallest opportunity should go into politics as early as possible.