The independent. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Kan.) 1860-1874, 1864-07-16
LINCOLN & JOHNSON.
Kansas Politicians.

Ifever State was cursed with a set
of reckless and unprincipled politicians.
that State is Kansas. Like the unjust
Judge of the parable. they "neither fear
God nor regard man." except in so far
as they can use men as their tools to
help them to power and place With
truth they have as little to do as possi-
bic; indeed. We have sometimes thought
they preferred lies to the truth when
the latter would suit their purposes
best; but we account for this on the
hypothesis that they ale SO unskillful in
handling the truth, and SO adroit in
managing lies. that they feel awkward
with the former and at home with the
latter.
As for fairness to an opponent they
no more think OF such thing than an
envious bigos thinks of justly esteeming
the objec. of his small souls hate
They will garble public documents,
rather than publish any thing which
might reflect credit upon an opponent.
They will huzzah for man to-day, and
denounce him to morrow, or denounce
him to-day end hurrah for him to-mor-
row, Just as the whim or self interest
dictates. One day man is a traitor,
the next he is the noblest Of patriots.
One day he is a conservative and de-
serves hanging; the next he is radical
and worthy of confidence and power.
All the low slang of the street is 6lch-
ed up and made the staple Of their trade
in political controversies. knowing
nothing OF argument, they never use it,
but substitute their slang in its place.
We may safely say that it is almost i'm
possible to exaggerate this PICTURE
Pen and ink cannot do it justice. We
have been astonished time and again,
until we have learned to be astouished
at nothing that is inconsistent. contra
'dictory and unjust.
Men who have gone into politics have
no regard for their record. They ap-
pear all the time to be playing for a
present stake, and hazard everything,
not excepting reputation and honor, up
on the result. Hence. you cannot tell
from one week to another where to find
them. They are anything and every
thing for present purpose; siultify
themselves 6fty times in year. and
then have the audaci.y to boldly face
the people with all the brass requisite
to claim for themselves superiority !
They are as little addicted to shame a:
they are strangers to virtue, and Sc
themselves up as the immaculstes of ,ht
landry whose standard every body else
must be measured. Satan himself ha.
not more impudence than they.
Why this is, We canao, tell. We
have quietly observed the. fact, and
wondered. but are yet unable to account
for the dishonesty and recklessness oi
Kansas politicians. We presume, how
ever. that the explanation may be found
in the supposi,ion already mentioned,
namely. that these men are working fol
the present hour, and feeling conscious
of their weakness. and being assured
that neither their record nor their abili-
ty will stand the tests of time, they
make the most of the brief hour that
gives thus notoric:y and influence: the
turmoil has thrown them TO the top for
the moment, as the fse causes the scum
10 raise 6rst, before the clarifying pro-
cess takes place; and they design to
pocket what they can, and then retire
on their ill-goIten gains.
May their reign be short. and the
purifying process brief and complete.