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Search - In The Arena - Stories Of Political Life

In The Arena Stories Of Political Life
Author: Booth Tarkington

CONTENTS -- PART I PAGE, Boss Gorgett . . . . . . . . . . . . I TheNeed 01 Bloney . . . . . . . . . X Hector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . rrl PART 11 Mrs. Protheroe . . . . . . . . . . . f oa Great Mens Sons . . . . . . . . . . 059 IN THE FIRST PLACE The old-timer, a lean, retired pantaloon, sitting with loosely slippered feet close to the fire, t... more »hus gave of his wisdom to tlze questioning student Looking back upon it all, what we most need in politics is more good men. Thousands of good men ARE in and they need the others who are not in. More would come if they knew how MUCH they are needed. The dilettantes of the clubs who have so easily abused m, for instance, all nty life, for being a ward-worker, these and those other reformers who write papers about national co ruption w hen t l q dont know haw their own wards are swung, probably arent so useful as they might be. The exquisite who says that politics is too dirty a business for a gentleman to meddle with is like tlte woman who lived in the pu lour and complained that the rest of her family kept the other moms so dirty that she never went into them. There are many thousands of young m, en belonging to what is for some reason called the best class, who would like to be in politics if they could begin high enough up - as ambassadors, for instance. That is, they would like the country to do something for them, though they wouldnt put it that way. A young man of tlzis sort doesnt know how much hed miss if his wishes were gratified. For my part, Id hate not to have begun at the beginning of the game. I speak of it as a game, the old gentleman went on, and in some ways it W. Thats where the fun of it comes in. Yet, there are times when it looks to nze more like a series of combats, hand-tohand fights for life, and fierce struggles between men and strange powers. You buy your news paper and thats your ticket to the amphitheatre. But the distance is hazy and far there are clouds of dust and you cant see clearly. To make out just what is going on you ought to get down in the arena yourself. Once youre in it, the view you'll have and the figlzting tlzat will come your way will more than repay you. StiU, I dont thi we ought to go in with the idea of being repaid. It seems an odd thing to me that so many men feel they havent any time for politics cant put in even a little, trying to see how their cities let alone their states and the county are run. WIwn we have a war, look at the millions of volunteem that lay down everything and answer the call of the county. Well, in politics, the county needs ALL the men who have any patriotism - NOT to be seeking ofice, but to watch and to understand whart is going on. It doesnt take a great deal of time you can attend to your business and do that much, too. When wrolzg things are going on and all the good men understand them, that is all that is needed. The wrong tlzings stop going on. BOSS GORGETT I GUESS Ive been what you might call kind of an assistant boss pretty much all my life at lemt, eversince I oould vote and I was some thing of a ward-heeler even before that. I dont suppose theres any way tt man of my disposition could have put in his time to less advantage and greater cost to himself. Ive never got a thing by it, all these years, not a job, not a penny - noth ing but injury to my business and trouble with my wife. She begins going for me, first of every campaign. Yet I just cant seem to keep out of it. It takes a hold on s man that I never could get away from and when I reach my second childhood and the boys have turned me out, I reckon Ill potter along trying to look knowing and secretive, like the rest of the has-beens, letting on . as if I still had a place inside...

ISBN-13: 9781408622841
ISBN-10: 140862284X
Publication Date: 10/29/2007
Pages: 292
Rating:

0 stars, based on 0 rating

Publisher: Merz Press
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

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