Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-08-02
POLITICAL MoRAn1Tx.

POLITICAL NoRAhITY.
A veteran politician is said to have
made the remark, that che had heard.
many an argument which changed his
opinion. but never one which changed
his VOTE" Probably If men told the
truth that veteran" would be found
in the majority. There Ia some excuse
In the fact that politicians of any
power of thought or grasp Of mind
deem it necessary to 20 against their
| convictions in certain cases Of minor
consequence, in order that they may
further the whole policy Of which GER
tain lesser details are only incidents.
Or, in a qualified way, they do evil
that good may come, or accept contra
dictlons in the expectation that tile
final decision or the great end Will
override the incongruities. We need
hardly say, for all political history
shows Ii, that these concessions, or
compromises. are the seeds Of difficult
ties which sadly plague not only par
| ties but nations. Its II OF the fea-
lures Of society, as ut present consti-
tuted, that there Is n code. of moral
ity for business life and political &C
tlon, and another code for judicial pro-
ceedings. A nan may say or do
things, without reproof in his business
Intercourse, which he would not ven
ture to do under the sanction Of an
oath. He may vote In popular cleo
tons, or Us a member Of a representa-
tive body, us lie would not dare to vote
as the member of u Jury. If an argu-
meut changes his opinion, or his con-
victions as he sets In the jury box, 1t
must change his vote II he has any con-
science or self-respect. He Is sworn to
decide by the law and the evidence,
and, If an honest n must sacrifice
his wishes to his duty. Yet the same
man may be counted honest, as the
world at present goes, and yet consult
| his desires In matters not under judi
cial sanction, while he pushes duty and
the question Of absolute right and
wrong into a very small corner, If he
does not thrust such considerations
aside altogether. "As the world goes"
this is the general rule-and the world
goes no worse now than 1t ever did. 1t
Is u common delusion to speak Of some
time In the past rs very much more
virtuous than the present. The by
paths of history and research contra
dict this popular fallacy. The brief
~compendiums which we call history
give the great men of the past In their
most commanding attitudes. But get
close to these statues, and 1t Is not the
shoemaker alone who can spy defects.
He discerns the faults in the sandals.
Other critics in their several depart
ments may find fault all the way up,
from the sole Of the foot to the crown
of the head. And this Is the style of
contemporary criticism. 4 mans own
family friends, rs we'll as his prying
enemies, see his faults more plainly
than his excellences; and no man,
even the most prudent and wise, can
reach the status while living which Is
given to him when dead. Men judge
others BY themselves. As all are con-
scious OF their " mixed motives,
and of the confusion In their own
minds, between exact justice and con-
venient sophistry, they see the same
weakness in other men. The only
conclusion to be drawn from the whole
subject is this: That he who would do
exactly right must be content to place
himself many times In a minority Of
one. He who values popularity above
self-respect, and the qualification Of
vanity above the self-consciousness Of
strict rectitude, will follow the conye-
nient doctrine that party fealty will
excuse easy political virtue. 1t may
we'll be doubted, however, whether
any success in life can compensate a
man for the loss OF the respect Of his
inseparable companion, his inner self.
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