Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-06-19
orFrcs-sEsKINe.

In Que aspec, the desire to hold pub
lie ofice>is a ~piaiseworthy one. When
a man honestly thinks that he is capable
OF rendering services to his fel'ow.citi-
zens which no other man cat reader at
all, or ut least not as well as he can,
and seeks off &C from the disinterested
motive OF being useful, he merits oar
appreciation, ever though there be at
tached to the position a pecuniary COM
p~eusa,ion. Or, if he be burning with
zeal to redress some wrong or to work
out some great reform, his pursuit OF
Office derives from that fact ~ certain
diyui,y and responsibility. Self-devo
ton aud patriotism are always admiral
BILE, under whatever gnisc they manifest
themselves. Unfortunately, however, II
is rars that we can sincerely attribute
to the office seekers OF the present dHy
any particular amount OF love OF eonn'
try. \ few there must be who are,
to q greater or less extent, animated
BY that noble passion, but tho ma
iority seem to be under the dominion
either of personal ambition or OF sor-
did avarice. Either power or wealth
is their object, and to it they sacri-
fee not merely the public welfare, but
in mos, cases their own. \ more truly
pitiable objec, than y man who relies
upon oGice.gettiug for the means OF
subsistence, or the qualification OF his
ambition, eau scarcely be conceived.
Out Of office, he passes his time in
dancing attendance upon the dis
pensers Of patronage, and thus EN-
ployed wastes day after day, which
if devoted to n legitimate industry
would maintain him in comfort. lu
office, he is busy, not so in performing
| his duties as TO make his continuance
in it II matter of necessity, but in en-
| ploying to secure his retention the same
arts which gained him his appointment
He loses his manlincss, his sclE-respecti
| and his honesty-if he ever had any
aud acquires bad habits in return,
which ruin his future career beyond re
demptiou. And after all, with the best
luck, he makes, MS general thing,
much less either of fame or of money
than he would have made in any other
occupation. The people ut large art
themselves greatly to blame for this
evil. They allow themselves to look
upon public appointments rather IN
the light of offers Of rewards thar
Of requests for favors. They foster, II
regard to labor performed aud talont ex
er,ed in thsir behalf, too much of tht
idea entertained By European aristo
Gratis toward laboring men, namely, tina.
as between employers and employed. !
is the latter alone who are benefited b.
the work they do. Our public serTaut
are cu,itled to honest pay for their ser
vices, and when they perform them well
to our SINCERE thanks. On the othe'
hand, there is too little sense OF oblisa
ton on the par, Of really competent an'
independent msn 10 accept office wheI
it is offered them. We are forced to put
up with professional otice-seekcrs IL
many cases, simply because we can &c
no others. The very met who rail th'
most at corruption in public affairs arr
the last oaes who will take hold whe'
they are wanted aud help effect a re
form. If one-half the talent which i
devoted to building up private fortunes
or winning reputation in arts and pro
fessions, could be pressed into the publ
service, We should have nothing to com
plain Of as to the way that service
administered.