The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-07-26

Il demanded
We feel l|ks asking the worthy editor
of she Gel D,macral Whether be thinks
that society Is resting upon proper basis
Or not An our institutions right, IN
the main, or are they wrongg Had our
foFeiasheFs the lights Of experience to
guide them in the formation Of their IN
stisusionzS n did they know nothing at all, |
and is an our progress, al our boosted civ
ilisation Of the 18th century mere hg-
ment Of the brain ? In our unsophisti-
Gated view Of the subject, our farefathers
were quite as wise, upon some things, as
their posteFity. Their experience taught
them that official securities were necessary,
and they Incorporated the idea IN their
legislation. If securities were abolished
and no longer demanded Of men in posi-
tions Of public trust, what would become
Of the widows dover, the orphans patri-
mony, the public taxes, the sums collected
BY sheriiEs and constables from debtors, the
fines imposed BY courts, and all valuables
held in trust for othes2 Would they be
faithfully applied to the uses and purposes
for which they were intended? Who be-
lieves III
The worthy Editor Of the Dsmoeiu,
thinks that Every citizen in the county
should feel that he is on the sheriff and
collectors bonds. The feeling Che says)
win be the best possible security county
ever had forthe selection of competent and
faithful agents" Granting this to be
50, only for the sake Of argument, how is
hisfeeling to be brought about? Implicit
trust in the integrity Of man is the basis
Of such feeling, and as that trust has been
50 often betrayed, how could such feeling
suryive2 Here we see the impraeticabil-
lity Of the theory Of the Democrat, and we
are forced to fall back upon the practice
Of demanding security for the ful6lment Of
public trusts, practice sanctioned by the
wisdom and the experience of the world,
and not to be Overthrown by the orudea and
iIl-eonsidered notions of 'reformers.N Not
every change is reform" and least Of al
this.
| Suppose every man in the county should
DO his best to procure faithful and compe-
tent agents or public officers, this would
not do away with the necessity Of demand
ing security Of those in positions of public
trust Human Judgment is often at fault
in its estimate Of the character of men,
How often has society been startled by the
discovery Of delinquency in men believed
to be above suspicion Men high in the
confidence Of the public, high in the con
fdence Of some monied corporation, high
in the confidence Of the Church, have sud-
denly betrayed the confidence reposed in
them, and shown themselves to be utterly
unworthy. DR.. Mackall win rarely find
that ideal honesty and 6delity to public
trusts Of which he writes, though like Di-
ogenes he should make the search with q
lighted candle, and as long as our poor
humanity is as frail as it is, it will be much
better that official securities be not abol-
ished.
Let us not be misunderstood. We are
not contending that there is no such thing
as honesty among men, or among official
agents. We feel well assured that there
are men id Office who would execute the
trust reposed in them as well without bond
as with it. We only wish to say that it
would be injndicious to abolish official Sc
curities. Many men are honest until Sc
duced from moral rectitude by the power
of temptation. Opportunity sometimes
makes rogues, who without such opportu-
nifty would pass for honest men. 1t isnot
every man who is blessed with an unbend-
ing integrity Of character sufficient to re-
sist all temptation. For such men securi-
ties are necessary, and ii would be unwise
to abolish them.