Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1873-10-01
THE EVENING NEWS.
ALI. DorEN, t. Editor and Proprietor.
A RUDE AWAKENING.

to 90 through 1t In one Issue OF the
News. Many other discoveries have
been made by the editor Of that jour
nal since last Spring. He has been
reading several Of the prominent Re-
publican journals of Massachusetts, OF
Ohio, Of Iowa, Of Wisconsin, of Mis-
souri, and Of California, and has found
out that bad men have got into office ;
that they "run" primaries, caucuses,
conventions and Legislatures; that
they prostitute public patronage to
private ends ; and that the voice o fthe
great people is now heard, not In the
selection Of candidates, but simply and
solely at the ballot-box. where they are
given the alternative Of voting the
Irregular ticket"-pus up for their
support by a set Of professionally In
some back oflce-regardless Of the
character of the candidates thereon,
or Of leaving the party excommuni-
Gated and ~stigmatized as disloyal sub
jects and boilers. Mr.. Curtis has
learned all these things and more,
since he found himself compelled to
resign from the Civil Service Com
mission last Spring because it was a
farce in Its application and a humbug
in its execution. He has found out
that the whole Government Of this
great country Is to-day In the absolute
control Of a few political knaves;
that Federal otilce-holders rule this
land /; that Capitalization Is becoming
a perilous reality ; and that through
these officers Of the Administration
the president may be coerciyely
present in every caucus )" and a still
more wonderful discovery even than
this appears to the dilased eye and
wondering vision Of the Civil Service
Champion" that presence Says he) Is
the germ Of Casarism." Mr.. Curtis
Is alarmed at the outlook. He shrinks
from the possibilities ; nay, the prob
abilities which menace free govern
mcnt. He %apprehends no danger from
any overt act, M coup d'etat by Pres
ident Grant, but sagely says, ''he who
would seek to gain permanent power
by the misuse OF patronage to secure
constant denominations and to cor
rupt public sentiment. Is the really
dangerous foe to republican govern
ment." And he is right. This is the
danger menacing our Republic to-day.
Corruption Is but the offspring of this
tendency to centralized power aud II
carried out to Its natural termination
monarchy viii, close the existence of
the largest and most successful repub-
lie Of modern times. We quote from
the editorial which We have somewhat
analysed. 1t breathes forth earnest
ness, and tells the truth in startling
language. It will be read and pom
dered over by thoughtful patriots, to
many OF whom as to Mr.. Curtis will
come a rude awakening:
1t Is evident that the people are re-
ally ceasing to govern, except In seri-
Gus emergencies. or course. rs our
republic Is representative and not
Democratic, they have governed
directly. They have governed, ex-
cept In the choice Of the President, ill.,
directly through representatives. The
theory Is that they elect such repre-
sentatives as they please. The fact
has come to be that they elect only
such rs a very few G designate. Ii
Is u government OF the caucus or pri-
mary meeting /; and the caucus Is con-
trolled by \ few who have q special
permanent interest in the result, which
the rest have not. That superior in
tolligence should rule Is natural. But
this ruling class does not represent SUI
perior Intelligence. When the voter
comes to the poll, he does lot vote for
the candidate whom he prefers, nor
for that one whom the best men OF his
party prefer, but for him who best
suits the selfish Interest Of a small
class. This class in U political COM
munlty Is that Of the office holders, aud
the office-holders depend, directly or
Indirectly, under our civil service sys-
TEN, upon the pleasure Of the Presi-
dent. They are distributed through
out the country. They are felt In v
cry party committee and primary
meeting. Politics, nominations, the
selection Of delegates, are o their
pastime, but their bread and butter.
Through them the President may be
coercively present In every caucus
and that presence is the germ Of Cesar
Ism. We observe as we write a
curious illustration Of this truth. In
reeonstituting the Republican State
COMMITTEE Of Massachusetts. the
delegation from each county named
the members from the county. 1t was
proposed In the Berkshire delegation
to omit from the committee Mr.. link
er. an internal evenu collector, who
had made himself peculiarly offensive
as a Butler agent. The delegation
we're strongly opposed to him. But,
according to the report, one OF the
members pleaded for his retention
on the ground that, being an office
holder. lie represented the A%dministra-
ton. aud that 1t would be n censure
upon Grant to remove him J" Is It not
time to consider? For Cesarism 10
merely absolute personal power under
constitutional forms. Augustus did
not overthrow the form Of the old Ro-
man republic. That remained un-
changed. There was nc diadem, no
court. AS Senator, Caesar voted In the
Senate, and his power was renewed to
him from time to time. Even the
parody Of Casarism In France pro-
fessed to be founded upon universal
suffrage. Tyrants always wish to
show that they are regular" No
American President, however rnadly
ambitious. would grasp a crown and
wear the purple. He would seek to
gain permanent power BY the misuse Of
patronage, to secure constant renomi-
nations and to corrupt public senti-
ment.
The new financial partner, Jno. Booth,
OF the Reese River Rsreiue Is bragg
ging about Austin, and says It Is the