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Show WOES OF GOVERNOR TOLD BY HOFFMAN i ' Governor Harold G. Hoffman of New Jersey is today's and the last guest-columnist for Walter Winchell. By HAROLD G. HOFFMAN Even a pinch-hit column conductor should write of something he knows a little about. In my case, that would be politics. I am a politician, but just to show that I am honest, I admit being one of thevanIsHIhg Americans! Republican: At leastrl think I am. I have not read this morning's papers; every so often I am thrown out of the Republican party by a group of earnest, if muddled. gentlemen who never were in it. Early In life I became Infected with political streptococci or is it atreptocockeye ? I may be wrong (New Jersey papers please copy), but it has always seemed to me that the Job of running a government is Just as complex, just as trying, just as Important as any of the other professions, and thai, it likewise de-msnds de-msnds training and a heart and mind fitted for the work. Some one has said that a statesman states-man is a man who thinks of the fu- . jj Constitution and laws are all subject to the same pressure. 1 There is always somebody who I wants to have his ticket "fixed." , There Is always a big demand , that a governor act as an umpire In government. His decisions 1 should be Impartial, but he will t have to watch eut for editorial r pop-bottles when Miry dont faver the home team. 1 Every class or groups wants special spe-cial consideration to offset what they regard as the oppression of ' their opponents; that is why we have courts and cops. Every once ' in a while some group becomes fired with enthusiasm over a special turs, while a politician is a mar who thinks of the next election Everyone in public office likes tc think of himself as a etatssman, but those who do not think of future i alartinns don't, '"t lf"f It"i1 fi'j accomplish much. When I was a member of congress, con-gress, and still quite a youngster, I observed that In spite of Mencken et al. there were a lot f brilliant, hard-working members mem-bers who were sound, conscientious conscienti-ous and thorough In their legislative legisla-tive work. But I alsa observed that those whs did not get back to their districts once In a while to kiss a few babies, wave the flag and eat some chicken at church suppers were) among the missing In the arxt session. There are those who think It Is possible to strike a happy medium to get public officials who lovs their work, perform It conscientiously, and yet do not forget the people who put them in office, and, abovs all, who do not labor under ths delusion de-lusion that they can please all ths people all the time. Most politicians are not as bad ' cause. They run amuck, break windows and demand that every 1 public official who is not -tnfeoUd with the same virus shall be "fired" with enthusiasm. They will provide pro-vide the enthusiasm. Reformers who sesm to be leading the moribund life picture all politicians as fat. cigar-smoking individuals who ars aroused from their lethargy only when It becomes necessary to squeese monsy out of a timid flgurs labeled "Taxpayer." When I first ran for office back in 1822 my slogan was "Elect a Young Business Man to ths Legislature." Legis-lature." Ths next year my opponent op-ponent was urging the voters to "Throw Out Hoffman, ths Politician, Politi-cian, and Elsct a Business Man." During my first ysar as governor, everywhere I went ths bands playsd "Hail to the Chief"; since then It has been "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal, You." Politics is a cross between "The Anvil Chorus" and "Glory, Glory Halls-lujah!" all the time as they are most of the time; the same may be true about reformers. Scalllons, Walter, to reformers re-formers not the people who sln-csrly sln-csrly crusade for changes they believe be-lieve should be made In government, but to the people who want to reform re-form everybody but themselves. There are always a lot of Dixsy Deans who are Intent upon putting all public officials not over, but on, the pan. Here Is an example.. Last year no of New Jersey's everything's-all-wrong big business men waited wait-ed upon mo In Trenton. He ds-manded ds-manded that I should Instruct aa earnest young man whs loved politics pol-itics and whs had worked hard ever since he had attained his, majority to fit himself for congress, con-gress, to grt sat sf ths race for the) Republican summation In order or-der to clear ths way for ens sf ths B. B. M.'s own associates whs llkewtsa wanted to gs to congress but whs, np to that moment, had ever shews) any Interest In the party sr la government. When I refused the B. B. M. said: Well, you might as well tell Bo-And-So to get out He won't have a chance, because I'm going to spend J25.000 to M,000 to nominate my man." Yea, Walter, he was a reformer. He wanted to purify government and ths Republican party; he was going to get into congress an "independent" "in-dependent" who would think and do as he ordered oven if he had to buy the nomination for hia friend. |
