Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1870-04-29
THE TRUST OF THE COMMON
WEALTH


There are those who think that party
fealty requires theln to uphold all a party
does, right or wrong They are not com
petent 10 comprehend independence of
thought or are too mercanary to believe
that ans one else can hold OF express an
opinion for which be has cot been, or does
not expect to be paid. They don't believeiu
principle and have failh only IN selfShaess,
the worst feature Of hnman nature. Our
criticisms Of public acts Of members Of the
Republican party hare been frequently
found fault With by people Of this class.
Fer the benefit Of all such aud that they
may know that independent criticism is a
characteristic Of all the better portion Of the
Republican press. We append the following
from the Philadelphia P.ess as specimen
DOT onlg Of its sentiments, but also Of many
others Of the very best Republican Journals,
The Legislature has adjourned, and with
It's adjournment comes a sense Of relief 70
the Commonwealth. Ii j. not iOcnlarly or
with fippaney We ssg So. L is sad thiug
to say, for il Is seeafessien Of the partial
failure Of our republican theory and prinei-
pie of govtrnment If it fails 70 . certain de-
gree viii il not finally break down entirely2
III the leaeen Of corruption is at work, what
guarantee have we that il viii not in time
work the destruction OF the whole bodyI
For one We have the utmost confidence.
the fullest faith, in the final triumph CT our
free institutions, snd we beiioEe them 10 be
in themselves By far the best and most salts
IL
ment ever tried 1t Is the result Of the
ages. and so an advance on all before i.
That the .Ystem. however, as applied 20
cur State this last year has been disastrous
snd lamentable failure is beyond denial
Onr dignity has been-lOwerea-our proper
" sqRandered-our rights violated-ouF re
mOnstTances and Instructions laughed az and
all by the men we have ourselves chosen 70
represent rs and TO administer our poll ical
estate. They have eyen grown defiant of
propnety, Of custom, snd of law, and have
openly committed fraEd in the very making
Of the laws. As far as our Legislature Is
concerned, we have had the worst Of rulers;
and cur case IS better than that Of the mis-
governed people Of other times only IN that
the term Of our legislators is limited
Clearly, then, the remedy for the wrong
We have suffered these years lies IN the seieo-
ton Of our Representatives. It Is by reason
Of our own default that we have been re- !
presented by men with whom large por-
tion Of she better class Of Us would not aSs0-
ciate, either socially or in business. Ii Is
useless, and It Is not very manly in Us, to
complain of and abuse the weak and incom
peteut and dishonest men whom we send TO
Harrisburkh, and invest with the most sa-
cred trust committed 70 or care.
No man would commit his private busi-
ness 70 the management Of the class Of men
70 whom We habitua'ly commit the manage
meat Of the public affairs. No merchant Of
Philadelphia-we sag II squarely, and mean
it-woul5 commit his business house to the
management OF toe Legislative delegation /
from this city. Should any bank Of this /
city turE over It's affairs to the directorship
Of these uen, It's stock would sink to moth /
ing in a single day. When We think calm /
ly of this fact we see how grossly culpable 4
has been our own conduct.
Did We all DO our personal duty the gov /
srnment Of this State would reflect credit on /
every citizen OF It-wOu.d cost little or moth /
ing, and would in little time, BY the judi /
a0us development Of cur resources bring /
wealth snd prosperity 70 all We can las /
down single rule, which II observed. would 4
secure as all that any system Of government I
ian accomplish: Let erTy roter reside, both 1
1T The primary and delegate election. n r0tt J
l0r 10 mds lrh0Dt he iooHld rot be scjVinq t. 1
make his 9ar7l ececst0r.
1t is notorious fact that the executors, /
guardians and trustees whom We find il any 4
community are one class Of persons, and +
be civil officers another class. We habitu- /
ally choose for public trusts men whom We 4
would not for q moment entFust with our 4
private estates The moment we apply the +
sane rule to the selection Of our pubiic trus-
tees that We do to the choice Of our private I
trustees, We shall get the same class Of men. i
See Tor one moment how the enforcement Of /
this rule would cut of nearly every common !
candidate for Office. Who would nominate I
-or his executor man who sought the plaee2 4
" h5 would nominate for his executor man
without known means Of ivehhood2 Who
would be likely 10 nominate for his execu-
OF man who had misTnanaged or lost his
)En estate! Who would nominate fox his
executor q man given to drinking in low and
public places, or 5he associate of gamblers?
md 50 on indefinitely the questiOa might be
pushed, and the answer 10 il would sweep out
me after another, the whole race and class
i Office -beggars who now on some process,
ioEly, perhaps, but certainly, in time be
ONE our Office holders
The adoption Of this rale would certainly
laEe saved Gs from the last Legislature
leaving aside few honorable exceptions,
zone OF Its members were ever invested by
heir neighbors with private trusts In
very county our readers can examine their
'En Delegation and apply this test.