The Emilie Loring Collection

Emilie Loring’s writings about politics and citizenship one hundred years ago could have been written today, except, perhaps, that they lack the cynicism of current times. Like Emilie herself, they are informed, optimistic and determined.

“President! What a great responsibility.”
“That word ‘great’ is a masterpiece of understatement, lady. ‘Terrific’ fills the bill. Whoever is elected will inherit every mistake, every liability, every heartbreaking problem of his predecessor. But no man ever was known to refuse the task.”
“And the honor.” Across the Years

Democracy

“Competition is as desirable in politics as it is in business, isn’t it?” Here Comes the Sun!

“Whichever way your convictions lead you, don’t fail to vote. This country needs every thinking citizen at the polls. Too many ignore the voting privilege. Especially it needs the women. There is a tremendous field opening for them in government house-keeping.” As Long As I Live

“Men like you had better show up at the primaries and the polls, work to repeal the laws which you don’t like and substitute something better if you object to what you get.” Here Comes the Sun!

Politics

“Stand staunchly back of Trafford in his fight for clean politics, work with him, for him.” Here Comes the Sun!

“The papers are full of stories of bribery an’ corruption in politics. If you could git the young men growin’ up to think it more manly to be straight than to be lawbreakers an’ to set to an’ take hold of things, mark-my-words, ‘twould be the dawn of a new day; ‘twouldn’t be long before the sun of righteousness an’ square dealin’ would be shinin’ overhead.” Here Comes the Sun!

“I know at least five men like you, Dal, with plenty of brains, plenty of money, who could help enormously by going into politics. They won’t do it. They won’t subject themselves to the vilification which goes with a campaign. Perhaps if I demonstrate that it can be done without degrading personalities I may drum up recruits.” Here Comes the Sun!

Women in Office

“Most of us women have to consider the dollar. We are trained to that much more than are men. There is criticism of the few women who are filling political offices in the country. Is there any reason why the woman whom we propose couldn’t make good? Let’s elect her and see that she does make good…” The Solitary Horseman

Integrity

“Unstampedable.  It’s a great quality, isn’t it?”  “It is, especially for a man in public life.  We have come to accept corruption in high places as a matter of course, but, Senator Holden is straight, absolutely straight, and you may take it from me that his rise in influence is the nearest thing to a fairy story in Washington.” It’s a Great World!

… she passionately believed that if a leader broke laws either human or divine his example would be followed by hundreds who would make his weakness their excuse for deviltry… Here Comes the Sun!

He would be an ideal candidate for any office. Fearless, unshakable in his principles… Fair Tomorrow

Civic Responsibility

Forty years before John F. Kennedy’s famous inaugural address, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country,” old Captain Phin said:

“I’m an American citizen, that’s all. I ain’t got the education to talk right but you don’t have to know no grammar rules to think right an’ I say what we need in this country is young people who’ll think more of what they owe to the nation an’ less of what the nation owes them.” Here Comes the Sun!

“If only one of the young men would give his time he would set the pace for others. Having once seen the wheels of administration revolve from the inside never again would he be indifferent.” The Solitary Horseman

“I want to be an honored citizen who counts in the welfare of the nation.” To Love and to Honor

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