The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-11


public affairs Is viewed as an intruder, and
hustled off as soon as possibles The Presf
dent of the United States, within four years
past, has harang1ed crowds from door-steps
and wrangled and flung Blllingsgate at the
lowest type of our citizens. He appeared in his
swinging round the circle in condition moi
to be named, and disgraced himself, and, alas
his high office also. How can we expect dignity
in public servants and respect from the populace
with such an exhibition from the Chief Execu-
uve3 The Senate of the United States is, still
later, found acting in manner at once outrage
! ous and startling. The recent conduct of that
body, instigated by Mr. Sprague, of Rhode Is
land, would be viewed as disgracoful In q lyceum
meeting; indeed, no well-conducted country
| yceum would for moment submit to any such
behavior on the part of its members. Senator
through some fiction usually termed ''grave
senator makes an address to the highest legis-
lative body in the land, in which he denominates
one of his brother Senators as an impostor
and cheat, and two other of his fellows
as 'dogs"-to which one Of the christened
CANNES retaliates in language just as disgraceful
If not as insulting. Throughout all of it no
attempt apparently is made to check the fiery
member, nor did the other Senators do aught to
Vindicate the dignity of the body except to seek
to patch up the disgrace after all was over. As
II to add yet further shame to the course of the
upper house, the two Senators who thus grossly
nsulted each other wrote letters saying that the
remarks made did not apply to each other
although 1t is evident, from the nature of the
occasion and the remarks, that the application
was personal.
The House of Representatives, during the last
session. was, on several occasions, ''bear
garden" On the day when the electoral vote was
counted, it presented q spectacle which caused
nothing but shame. Tosee member quarrelling
and wranglng with the Vice-President is bad
enough for any country, yet this WAS the sight
exhibited last February. This is but type of
number of similar actions which show the lack
OF dignity in the House. The bench is also,to
be included. In New York city we see an in
stance OF judge on the bench calling the atten+
ton of the Court to the color of a convcts hair,
and telling him that he should be employed as
one OF the Female Forty Thieves that he could
rival Lydia Thompson, and then jocOsely calling,
him "a liar" This is the dignity of the ernine!
1hls ls the Kind of actions which are to cause
profound respect to be accorded to. the wearers,
of judicial robes Can we any longer wonder
that public respect for office has turned into
public contempt? 1t seems unnecessary to fol-
low the parallel further. Why descend to the
ceney in that body are not exceptional but uni
Versal-when If coarseness was its, only fault, we
would transform what is now our Belial into
Gabriel.
From what we have said and the witnesses we
have cited, it is too pain that the condition of
official life Is deplorable. There is none of that
hduteur which becomes station. There ia none
of that respect which people should show to
their public servants. Familiarity and contempt
too frequently are the feelings andfor this the
public men of the nation solely have themselves
to thank. They have been the cause of their own
downfall In the days of the Adamses, Madison,
and Monroe, all know how differently official
position was estimated. Thea it was respect
andregard. The difference is due, not to the
people, but to the officers; and five would
restore once more the bygone dignity; we must
change the class of men who fill office. If we do
not, where will we drift toY save our
national power and national standing among the
nations of the earth, we must, ere long, change
the class of the public men who rule and repre-
sent us.