Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-05-09
Office and Office Beggars.

rarely identified with merit in candidates
a. to be noted as a popularity. Men did
not thrust themselves on conventions and
importune for an appointment, or can
didacy for this Office or that; but the Sc
lection was left to an unbiased, discern
ing, and patriotic popular will. Honesty,
capacity. adaptation to the place, and
fidelity to the state, were properties en-
uuired for, and the tests of fitness for
Office. The result was, the wisest, the
purest. and the best men were chosen to
Office and adorned the positions which
they held. Station came TO be proof
Of merit, and office a certificate of honor
TO the incumbent.
How changed are the times and man
nersl Now offices are sought By and for
men. The enquiry is now, not if one is
capable or faithful; not so much what
are his principles, but to what clique, or
party, does he profess to belong? Whose
slave, whose tool, whose creature for dirty
work is he? Not so much if he viii be
e servant and trustee of the public, as
whether he will be subservient to has
paTty7 Not so much whether he has
education or brains, as whether he is en-
dowed with disposition, or fitness, for low
and vulgar intrigue sufficient to attain
some special, partisan, or personal end.
Another important enquiry is, who among
the numerous 6sggars for office shall be
the candidate. Il does not seem to mat
ter how inconsiderate the office is; how
onerous and thankless the drudgery
thereof may be; even to that of justice
Of the peace, and such offices as are usu-
ally supplied in our annual March meet
ings, dozen hungry, ambitious beggars
will strive and importune for each of
these, like Lazaroni for bone. They do
not question their own fitness for the
office they seek, neither does their party
seem to care---the main enquiry with the
latter Is, how else can the beggars Be got
rid of but by electing them to the offices
they importune for.
Thus offices have come to be filed by
inferior men-by men who regard the
offices as the "spoils of the victors," and
who "strut their brief hour upon the
stage" as if the possession of office, and
not the possession of brains, dignifed
and made the man. Thus offices have
ceased to be honorable, and the post o.
honor has become the private station
Men get not Office now except they bee
for it, and cringe, and fawn, and beg IN
ceasingly for it. Many of them are like
and yet unlike, the rich mans stewart
spoken Of in St. Luke-they cannot. O
will not, dig if they can live otherwise
but they are not at all ashamed to beg
The pride Of true greatness does no
seem much 10 become them, for that
usually accompanied by modesty. Van
ity IS their attribute, and that is seldom
identified with brains. Wisdom acquire
so much that it is abashed by the discoy
cry Of the vast stores yet 10 be attained
Vanity knows so little it conceiyes that
knows all. Scion, Bacon, Washington
were men Of wisdom, and conceive
themselves quite untitled to the lofty sta
tons they adorned. Beau Brummel wa
thing made up by tailOr.-attracte
the worlds attention by his foppery, an
conceived the office he held as leader
fashion, TO be greater than that Of We
hngtou as leader Of armies. So, in a
most every community, there are more {
less Of Peter Nincompoops holding De-
haps, some town Office which they hav
been toiiug for years TO attain, and whic
a man Of business or Of sense woul
shun, and having reached the goal, the
swell till their skins seem to tight to hol
them. Their petty office seems TO then
as the peacoek's tail does 10 that sill
bird-they see nothing else, and think Il
world are dazzled as they are. Each,
his little community,
Thinks himself God,
And gives nod
To shake the spheres"
In his Own mind be makes Solomon, al
all others as unappreciating, who Won
say Of such din'nVtirs greatness as b
Vanity, vanity, all Is vanity" Yet
Solomon knew how long this or that P
ter Nincompoop had waddled in Il
Slough Of Despond,7 and how pers
verlngly, almost Ike the frog in the we
ne had Jumped to get upon a wafe
where he might . be seen Of men /" if !
knew what miserable subterfuges, VII
contemplate tricks, the beggar had er
ployed, and what abject eringing he h,
submitted to, to get in a position whe
De might clearly show himself an ass. '
think he would resort 10 homeIv IangBss