The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-06-21
THE DECLARATION DODGE.

son that "declenSlOn' is gramna-
tical and "declination" an astrono-
mical term. We have too many
Yankee words already in the Amer
lean language to agree to any such
proposition. We can see no reason
WHY one word should not have two
distinct meanings, as is the case
with hundreds of words IN the
English language. Moreover, as
adeparture," as cientific terrestrial
term, has been regularly adopted
into American political slang, it is
very proper that "declination" a
scientific celestial term, should also
become naturalized, particularly as
many an ambitious candidate VIII
"see stars" before the first Tues
day in November, 1872. Besides,
it is useless to coin a word whose
functions will be brought into re-
ouisition so seldom. We are fast
approaching that point at which
the greed of office is so great, that
an American aspirant will decline
nothing, from the Presidency down
to pair of old brooches.
Among a certain class Of Presl-
Dental candidates and their friends
the retirement dodge" has been
recently practiced until it is we'll
nigh "played out" An enthusi-
astic interviewer finds Mr.. Pen
dleton in his laW-of1ice, surround
ed by his books, busy with his
clients, and devoted to his family,
without ambition, and loath to ex-
change such delightful pursuits for
the filth which is proverbially as
ISOLATED with every thing about
Pennsylvania Avenue. Mr.. Hen
bricks is found by the same inter-
viewer, with his shoes united, bus
lily engaged in feeding his chickens.
Mr.. Seymour, milking his own COWS,
and delivering lectures on the mer-
it's of green cheese, is a picture
that an artist might copy. And
; even Mr.. SmiIer Colfax is carried
in a fainting fit to South Bend to
"retire" himself out of view until
the next Chicago Convention shall
demand that he be sacrificed for
the good of the Republican party.
One cannot read these affecting de.
scriptions of such beautiful home
scenes W h ut sitting every
thing like a desire to do such
violence to them as to tear
away their central figure to be
transplanted to the infectious at
mosphere of Washington city. Ir
reading the ancient cock and bull
stories about old Cincinnatus anG
old Israel Putnam we have otter
thought what pity it was that the
old gentlemen were not allowed al
least time enough to finish theil
burrows or unyoke their oxen. Blu
there is no accounting for the de
:, light which the dear people take il
maliciously outraging the feeling
of those disinterested patriots wh'
will persist in hiding their light
under a bushel. Far be it from II
however to insinuate that moderl
8 Presidential candidates are les
primitive than Cincinnatus. or les
# patriotic than Israel Putnam.
IS But if the retirement dodge
IS has about run it's course the ode
s clination dodge" is just getting il
p sell fully tiedged as Presidentia
e expedient. 1t has not been man
i weeks since the country was stal
. tied at the adroitness with wlic
this game was played in the hand
p of Horace Greeley, the sagaciou
: philosopher, devoted humanitaria
q and experienced agriculturist, I
if a short letter to Kansas admire
'c he "rises to explain" his position O
st this important subject to be whs
le was deciphered to imply an unco1
1t ditional declination of all cand
n dacy for the Office of President {
/ the United States. He has HOY
:, ever, subsequently "explained h
explanation" and now admits thu
he only meant that the Office shoul
J. "neither be sought or declined,"
v. sentiment attributed to M. Bail,
when candidate for the State
is general in 1889, which was fathe
l. ed on Mr.. Lowndes in 1924, an
L which, when properly translate,
- means that you should. never see
:. the office when you stand no chant
70 of getting it, and should never d
N cline it when, as in the case of FIJI
p,oro op6 ApIU Tohpcon - cl,o,,l