New-York tribune., 1873-01-29
CHRONIC POLI1ICN.


CHRONIC POLITICS.
Politics, including caucuses, conventions
and canvasses are necessary, we suppose, III
this imperfect world. Necessary, also, they
will continue TO be until the good time
coming, which, alas is always coming, has at
last been kind enough to come, though this,
we admit is fixing period extremely indefi-
mite In some of our States however, perhaps
more than in others, this cacoethes currendi, or
insatiate desire of running for something,
seems to be both chronic and epidcmical. In
that far Eastern Commonwealth, for instance,
called Maine, they have just inaugurated a
fine. fresh, new Governor, whose official chair
is hardly yet warm, the echo of whose
inaugural, if he made one, has hardly yet
died away, who has still a gloss upon his
official robes. You might expect here lull in
the teapot tempest of politics. but if you did
YOU would be mistaken. 1t will be nearly q
year before Maine will want new Governor.
Yet VIC are informed by respectable news
paper of that region that there is already
premature agitation of the governorShip Il. e.,
/" the next one) by the friends of different
gentlemen.n The result of this, we are also
told, is much vanity and vexation of spirit"
The people care kept in a state of unprofita-
" BILE speculation while there is other busi-
"ness which needs attention. The last 1t
strikes u.s. is an uncOmmOnly wise and sbfewd
remark. Politics are means, not an end 1t
is only for what they accomplish not for their
own sake, that they should be allowed
moment to exist in any ration
al State. We vote for A or for b, because it
is necessary to have certain kind of service
done by some trustworthy person. Nobody
has any claim upon any office. III he has here
tofore well served the public, he has done no
more than his duty, and the presumption is
that he has been well paid for doing it. So,
too, on the part of the voter, we do not mean
to say that he should neglect public affairs, and
especially those which relate to the selection of
fitting men for Office. We wish, indeed that
the best citizens would give more attention to
this vitally important matter. But it is not
this which is troubling already the State of
Maine. 1t is not so much the anxiety of the
voters to select, as it is the desire of certain
men to be elected. The rise and progress, the
decline and fall of an ofiice-seeker afford
about the best chance for trenchant Ameri-
In the Stats of Maine (as in many other
States) there are probably fifty, perhaps one
hundred or two hundred men who would like
to be, who dream of being, who are striving to
become this or that-G0vernOr, Lieutenant
Governor, member of Congress- Then there
are thousands who more humbly aspire to be
elected to the Legislature. Then there are
tens of thousands who are willing and anxious
to become selectmen, county officers, school
committee men, cOroners, sheriffs, Onstables,
town clerks, &C., &c. Of course, not only
those who can be elected to place. but
those who desire to be so elected.
are IN very small minority, and they
expect the great majority to be in their
behalf agtated, excited, distracted, impassioned
to work for them, spend and be spent for
them, bet their money on them, and when
they shall be elected to shout for joy, and
when they shall not be elected to shed tears
and howl with anguish. 1t is an astonishing
proof of patriotism, and as pathetic as it is
surprising, that voters should be willing to
give their time, their money, and their wind
in behalf of these ambitious gentlemen. 1t
proves how deep an interest people take in
the well being and good gOvernance of the
country. 1t proves also, we are sorry to say,
that man is credulous to frightful degree,
and monomaniacally bent upon being bam-
boozled.
The time will come--our own opinion is that
it is rapidly approaching men who are
not desirous of Office will be obliged to take
il. for the sake of those who are equally mod
erate-minded. We shall never have politics
what they should be in this country until the
professional Office hunter has himself been
hunted out of existence, or at least out of his
unabashed and brazen impudence. We shall
never have newspapers what they should be
until they have all been emancipated from the
quasi serfdom in which so many journals are
held by the bustling, busy, pushing politicians
of their neighborhood who use them, advertise
in them gratis, monOpclize their space, delude
their unfortunate proprietors, who in n great
many cases are tumbled headlong into
insolvency. with the golden promises
of candidates still sounding in their
long and credulous ears. If citizens cannot be
Immediately released from the feudal service
which is demanded of them by local candi-
dates, the blessed consummaton so much to
be desired may be hastened il newspapers
will only lead the way, and give these man
aging politicians to understand that the bust
ness of the printer IL hereafter 10 be some
thing better than merely working for tho