Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-03-21
OBSOLETE REeUIREMENTs.

The "5tanket sheet" Of Virginia City,
in its issue OF yesterday morning, came down
like an avalanche, thousand of brick, or
any other pondsrous cruSicr, upon the de-
voted and bat,le-scarred head OF Captain
Thomas G. Murphy, whi!om defender oil
Lexington, hut 4: present Of thS y. l. Aii'-
in. Ws,nce this MASKING nut, this crush
ING. this exccr:A,!ou Simply this, and moth
;n, more. The Board OF Common Scour-
d-e,S Of rha, civ have, in the exercise OF a
lsri,in,a:e discretion, seen tt TO appoint the
Aforesaid 5a;tte-sca:red to the position Of
Citv Clerk. The Enterprise admits the gal
lint Captain to 5e energetic, sober and in
dustr:ou>," and ;he only fault that i, is able
70 frd with the appointment; is, that "he is
totally anti for the position People are
getting miyhcy particular about these days.
The idea ,aat htneSS for the position is a
necessary 1.qGiS;te, or qualification, in an
appoiutee 20 or!ic;al position, We had sup
posed to lave become exploded, abandoned
and obsolete. Il died away with piy-;ails
and knee-brecehes. Is " fitness" to be placed
in the balance against powerful influence AZ
pr;mar, meetings; and mental and clerical
capacity weighed against I controlling voice
in 4 military or L are company We reckon
not! From the echoing walls Of Tammany
Hall. where wander the ghosts of ten genera
tions Ct political FOUNDERS comes back
the sound Of laughter and deriSion. Fit
ness for the position" That's pretty
good joke. With regard to the particular
case in question, we know nothing. Our
acquaintance with Captain Murphy is OF the
very slightest. He has the reputation
(whether deserved or not; Of having taken an
active part in the defense OF the flag in the
earlier DAYS Of the war. Thus far he is
known TO US, by common rumOr. We also
know that some grave faults were found with
the imperfect manner in which he, last winter,
attempted to discharge the duties Of En-
crossing Clerk OF the House. Whether
those complaints were just or not, we have
no means Of Judging. As to his "attrocious
handwriting" his bad spelling" etc, we
are equally in ignorance. Among our vast
collection Of autographs Of great men, We
fail to find tina, OF Thos. G. Murphy. This,
however, is not the point, to which we were
endeavorins 70 direct the public mind. 1t
was no: to the Shortcomings Of Capt. Muir
ply, but to principle. That principle was,
tina: in the selection BY Boards OF Aldermen
and other appointing powers, q fitness for
the position was, and has been for years,
very properly regarded as an absurd and en-
tirsly unnecessary qualification. I, has been
so considered in all OF the States OF the
Union. BY the highest authorities and most
potential appointing powers; from the Presi-
dents OF the United States down to Boards of
Aldermen. And now, at this late day, with
al the lights Of past history before it, with
all the sanction o; the highest and most
respectable authority staring it in the face,
for newspaper, pretending TO sasacity, to
raise It's puuy voice, and clamor about /" fit
ness" IS simply audaciouSiy and ridiculously
absurd. The next thing, we sh..l hear peo-
pie clamoy;Rg Cor honesty as qualification
for caice. What is the world coming to :