The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-09-01
General Ressncrsnz.s Views as Demo.
crAt upon Omces and Suffrage.

crAt upon Omees and Suffrage.
We make the following extract from
the letter Of, General Rosencranz, de-
clining the nomination for Governor of
Ohio. His views upon Offices and Office
holders are peculiarly apyopos in view of
the State affairs here:
5. Offices should be created only when
clearly demanded by necessary public
business, and such salaries be paid as the
nature and importance of the business
requires, leaving no Just grounds of COM
plant or excuse for peculation.
a policy that leads to or requires the
multiplication of Offices is anti-Demo-
cratic, unjust and dangerous to freedom.
A policy which changes men in Office for
indiH idual profit instead of public good,
is perversion of the principles of busi-
perilous to the liberties Of the people.
Official power is trust for the public
good, which no public officer has q right
to use for his private benefit, and whose
ever does so. is q greater scoundrel than
he who misapplies funds in his trust, be-
cause the official trust is more sacred and
the wrong more difficult to detect and
measure. .'w ,,>
Whosoever obtains votes under false
pretences is baser knave than he who
obtains goods under false pretences, and,
on count of the greater difficulty of
det ting and measuring the evil done,
deserves severer punishment and repro
baton.
Regarding all officers as servants of the
people and trustees of power for the
common veal, Democracy favors such
modes of appointment and tenures of
office as reason and experience show best
calculated to secure good conduct and
efficiency in the public service, without
regard to private interest, public GUS
toms or individual pretensions.
Reason and experience alike condemn
frequent and needless changes of public
officers, and the generally prevailing
practice of making them for personal
benefit instead of the public good, is
acting in great matters of the State and
nation on principle which would ruin
any private business, and, unless cor
rected, will bring the administration of
free government into deserved contempt.
1t is essentially opposed to the principles
OF Democratic government, and it be-
hooves the Democracy of the United
States to make war on the practice, with
out truce or delay, returning to the JEFF
fersopian standard of official qualifica-
ton, sis he honest, capable and faith.
ful?" e -'
Z. The Democratic doctrine of suffrage
requires distinct reafirmation.
Democracy has always held that suf-
frage is not natural right of every hu-
man being, nor of q particular sex or
race, but political privilege, and who
should exercise it is question to be de-
cided by what will produce ''the greatest
good to the greatest NUMBER" and there
fore, as far as possible, to be determined
locally, where lays the great body of the
rights of the people.
But in these local discussions, the De-
mocratic idea favors broad rather than
narrow basis of suffrage. It is not un-
mindful or regardless of the rights of
women, of property and inferior races;
but seeing other effective and advantage
GUS ways in which these can have their
influence on all legislation affecting their
interests, at present it prefers giving the
right OF voting to manhood and qualifi.
cations, which will tend to create bonds
OF political brotherhood between the rich
and poor, based on mutual interests,
and to avert conflicts between capital
and labor.
BoUaHT AND So1D.-An amusing affair