The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-08-29
Citizens and Politicians.

The Biddeford journal gives full report of
the speech of Hon. r. b. Reed of this city, be-
+ re the York County Republican Convention
at Alfred. The speech l. admirable and we
should like to lay it before our readers entire
We lave, however, space only for the following
extract from the opening, which deals sharply
with the ''high toned" abuse of politicians by
the people who are too superfne to fulfill their
duty to their country. He said:
l cannot preface what have to say to you
to-day with the customary statement thai it
affords me only pleasure to ldress you, for the
pleasure is not unmixed with doubt as to my
ability to say anything that will interest or
please you. This is an off year in politics, in
which is none of the interest and enthusiasm
which meet the speaker half way and inspire
him with the hopes aud anXietes which make
even the dull man bright and the bright man
eloquent. l did not realize until after the invi-
tation to address you had been accepted, how
difficult was the task and how little fitted
man would be with his mind full OF other BUSH
ness, to talk of politics when so few maintain
their interest in Them And yet do not all re-
greet being here, for hold that it is the duty OF
every man in nation governed by the people,
to devote what time be may to to the consldera-
ton of the concerns of the nation. L am glad
to meet so many politicians. 1T is the fashion
nowadays to decaim against politicians and
to endeavor to win a cheap Immortality by de-
riding those who fulfill their duties as citizens
of Republic. Did the real absurdty of this
defamation ever occur to you? Here in re-
public which from It's very nature is govern
ment of the people, by the people and for the
people, men are found sneering at those who
take interest in the government of the nation.
These men think they stand on serene heights.
Their white hands and whittier souls they will
not soil by contact with caucuses and nomina-
tons and such debasng matters. They stand
aloof and blame the men who fail 70 accom-
plish just what they might accomplish if they
had the assistance of these very men. This is
all wrong. Victories are not won by criticism,
but by fighting. They say that politics is a
dirty pool. Why not change it then. Why not
drain off the dirty water pour 10 streams from
unpollnted sources and make the pool broad,
calm lake, rejecting back heaven and the stars.
There is no reason why political life should be
a base one.
There is nothing connected with the govern
ment which renders it necessary to be Knave.
Nor are the men who best succeed in politics
dishonest men. reputation for truth and
honesty is just valuable there, as in any
walk in life. I know that there are some men
in politics who think politics is lying, who
think the brightest thing they can do is to
make you think they mean a thing that they
don't, but they are fools and blind. There is
no surer way to fail in any department in life
all the discounts and all the black sheep, the
people who are interested in politics average as
well as the rest of the world.
He then gave instances of rich men who
smug2led one day and denounced politicians
the next. and of the capacity of men of whom
government bought lands for forts. They al
most Invariably took six times the value and
then wanted more. And there is no doubt that
ii we could trace these men to the corner gro
cries in which they loaf they would be found
denouncing Salary Grabbers and the Credit
MobIlier.
Now l don't entertain any foolish notion that
we are made any better by showing that our
neighbors are worse, and only cite these ex-
amples to show that mankind in politics, or
out OF politics is weak and in need of saving
grace. But there is one thing deeply to be re-
GREETED about politicians, and that is, that
there are not more of them The country is
governed by few people. 1t ought to be gov
erned by ALL All men should interest them~
selves in public matters. This inclination. how
ever, to let few have their own way is not
confined to politics. 1t is the same in bust
ness. Take any railroad and bank that you
please. You and know that very few of the
stockholders are aware how this company
stands. Nay, even among the dire ctors, two or
three DO all the control. No bank ever breaks
or railroad collapses when it does not turn out
that the disaster resulted from on-perform-
ance OF their duty by directors.
Ii men Will neglect the duties they owe to
their pockets. OF course they will neglect the
duties they owe to others. When directors neg
lESb ehcil uutIco We uldue tuem anu tney Dl1me
themselves When men neglect their duties to
their fellow-men they don't blame themselves
On the contrary they are proud of it and boast
that they are not as other men, even as these
politicians. They can do much better than that
If they only knew it. Let them come among
u.s. do their duty, rectfy the mistakes of others
and then perhaps the political mile Ium they
long for will descend upon earth If those of
us who said, son to Richmond early in the
war had shouted, "Come ON to Richmond"
perhaps we should have got there little sooner.
Another habit we have seems to me to be all
wrong We are too ready to b. lieve Islander of
our public men. We abuse them with too much
eageruess. We are never ready to give them
the just need of praise There is small tempta-
ton for a man OF good character and decent
ability, to enlist in the Public Service. Their
tenure is most precarOus. No man, however
eminent, is safe from changes which may con
sign to obscIrity the next election and he NAV
find himself stranded in mid career, his bust
uess which he left destroyed and his life wasted.
Half the talents which men devote to their
country will give them an old age surrounded
by wealth aud comfort. IF we are wise then
and desire to command for our servants The
best men, let us be aware how we add to the
other discouragemeDts, the dread of abuse and
detraction which ought to have terror beyond
all the others. Our ill-consdered reproaches
only react on ourselves. We largely depend
upon our eiehbours opinions. Men are mortal.
The best are but little stronger than the tempta-
tons of the world the flesh and the devil and il
men can gain no credit for honest action, one
incentive to honest life is gone altogether L am
finding no fault with sharp criticism. Men
need it. Only let us be just and not censure
men simply because it points paragraph or
makes an article sensational.