tell you or the people a falsehood. He is truth personified. His
honesty works as naturally as his heart beats, quite free from the
influences of his will."

That is the kind of a political leader you ought to attach yourself
to, while your young days last and your political and civic character
is forming. But follow no man who is striving merely to advance his
personal interests. What are they to you? Be sure that the man you
choose for your chief is trying to do something for the Nation rather
than for himself.

Of course you will belong to some political party. That is all right.
Be a partizan. And be a hearty partizan while you are about it. But do
not be a narrow one. Never forget that parties are only modes of
political action. They are not sacred, therefore. So never mistake
partizanship for patriotism. Remember always that your only reason for
belonging to any particular party is because you find that the best
method of being an American.

When your party is fundamentally wrong on some absolutely vital
question of _principle_ which affects the fate of the Republic, do not
hesitate to leave it. It has ceased to be of any use to you. Because
your political association has been with certain men is no reason at
all for continuing it. Or, rather, it is purely a sentimental reason,
like that which makes the companionship of friends so dear, or the
comradeship of soldiers so lasting.

But do not break away from your party merely because you think it
wrong on minor questions. _If you think its general tendency right,
stay loyally with it through its common mistakes._ Try to prevent
those mistakes within the party. Fight like a man to make your party
take the right course on every question, big or little, as you see it.

But when you are unable to convince the majority of your party
associates that they are wrong; when they think that you are the
person who is wrong, fall in line with them and march in the ranks,
battling even more vigorously than you would had you prevailed. If the
majority were right and you were wrong, you ought to help execute
their views. If the majority were wrong and you were right, the
earlier that fact is demonstrated the better for you and everybody.

So keep step with your rank and file, whether your party does what you
think it ought to do or not on matters of passing moment. But I
repeat, on large issues which come to your conscience--_on questions
which you think affect the destiny