The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-05-22
Public ONCE,

The mania for office increases with every |
new presidential term, and it il becoming ]
a national vice and a reproach to the country. |
1t is an unacecuntable infatuation; when
public Office has ceased TO be mark Of mer-
it and confers no real distinction; when the
private station has become the post of honor
when almost all other pursuits afford as
large emolumcnts, it is strange that mon
will labor 30 assiduously for the chance OF y
precarious living upon the government; and
to obtain it. will sacrifice truth, honor and
their own self-respect-will barter their own
peace and independence. for the privilege OF
wearing what has become nothing more than
the degrading livery of an INSCRIPTIONS slave
Of dominant party. None but third rate
men will use the means now necessary 10 OBJ
tain public office; and public employment is
consequently filed by inferior men only
The result will be thai the world will dis
cover that very inferior order Of talent is
competent to discharge the ordinary gov
eminent functions, and that official duties
are less arduous and difficult than the man
agement Of many private concerns; and that
to execute them tolerably we'll, argues no
great ability and confers no distinction or
credit.
II this should not be true, after enduring
the rule of small men, till the evils they in
| fiict become intolerablc, the country will kick
the imbeci,es from their usurped places. and
| turn TO its better and soundcr men for its ad-
visers and functionaries. In a free country
like this, where all is left to the natural
course of things every evil has within it, its
own remedy. In tho moral machinery eve
ry eecentricity has its compensating balance
Honest and good men are alarmed at the as
cendancy of proAgate political combina-
tons, which bring into place ignorance ant
incompeteney; but the people are sound an(
there is no reason ever ito despair of TIT
Republic"
We vastly overrate the Importance Of tn
action Of the government upon the happines
and prosperity Of the country. If it wer
| not for the morbid desire for the honors o
, political station, and the thirst to peculat
upon the public treasury, the operations @
the general government, if confined to it
narrow, legitimate sphere, would pass almos
, UNDECIDED by the people; we exaggerate I'll
Importance Of everything attending lit
functions-its otlices-and its honors-sn
the first reform in our politics will begin wit
" the removal Of these false impressions; the
the election of Presiisn: will cease TO agi
. tate the country and the hungry pack of dem
agogues now used in the hunt for the oficc
will be killed otf-as the yelping hound
have died out in this country since the gan
has disappeared.
The principal attention of the various d'
partments now, is given to the application
= for Offices and to parcclling out their emolI
. ments to the greedy seekers. The legitima
duties of the government are set aside
distribute the spoils to the m arconary adh
81 rent. of the party. 1t is said that the ma
oi of applications now at Washington could n
! be examined in. fifteen years if the heads
D. the departments neglect all other duties III
- attend to them alone. Since the inaugur
&c ton this dscreditabie business has supersc,
n, cd all other affairs. 1t has absorbed the q
r tention of Cabinet councils, to the exclusiC
10 and domestic interests of the country; it h
: been almost the only labor in the depar
ments; in fact the noisy Office clsimar
> have had entire possession of the COVER
L ment. y cotemporary truly says:
c Mr.. buchanan opened upon himself such
+. food OF expeetant and rampant Dcmocra
ri as never before poured through every cha
i. mel into the grand reservoir at Washingto
IL exceeds any previous humiliation by som
W thing more than the growth of the coun.r
IN Nothing else has increased so fast as the hui
al ger for Office We do not say it would la
b,en better if the Republicans had succe
ell; we are sure it could not havcheen wor:
no No one can cstimste the evil of this; no o
~ can guess how much disappointment has be
Il laid for the future, huw many men ha
n IA been soured in temper and led into idle al
ui dissipated habits. by their failure in q
competition for Office; and only those vi
have tried it can altogether understand VIII
n q miserable business it is.
OF
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