The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-10-10


. his name 8 stencil in the nostrils OF
his country.-Dr. f. G. Holland
Scribner's for October.
POLITICAL BLINDSIDEDNESS.
The world is indebted to Miss
Catharine Grove for work illus
trating the night-side of Nature
"a work which very faithfully
groups the superstitions that have
prevailed in all ages, and which
will probably prevail to some ex-
tent to the end of time. But sup
pose for a moment that all book
makers from the earliest period
had only illustrated the night-side
of nature, and the most obtuse
can readily examine the unbroken
gloom that would envelope litera-
ture. The reader of the litera-
ture of politics nowadays be-
comes familiar with the night side
of politics chiefly. Occasional
CLEANS of the day side break in
upon him, but the political aspect
may be fairly likened to one of
those equinoctial periods in which
the sun makes occasional appear
ings through the riffs of the rag
ing storm. Are we to believe that
in embarking in politics a man
surrenders to the undisputed sway
of evil passions, or that the pur-
suit of politics is incompatible
with that average excellence of
human nature which renders life
tolerable?
The answer is no. Political ac-
ton is a mixed conflict, in which
the best and the worst of human
nature have fullest play. There
are pariahs in politics as in soci-
ETY.. but it would be unfair ana
deeply resented by society at large
were the judgement of its status
rendered upon the worst eff out
iawry. The injustice is no less
when judgement is rendered upon
political outlawry, and made to
measure the true political status
of any time. One SO constituted
that he is unable to see any good
in an opponent, very definitely
conveys to the rejecting man the
idea that in himself affinity for
evil predominates. Nothing is
more certain than this, that men
in whom the tendency to evil pre-
dominates are first to attribute
baseness both in motive and in
deed to everybody else. 1t is a
sort of cynicism that deeply af-
iicts the age. It is plain enough
to tair-minded men that human
nature holds higher average to-
day than at any other period of
historic time. Yet the effort seems
to be, on all hands, to impress
upon the public mind that the age
is depraved beyond precedent, and
that civilization is only another
name for licensed roguery.
But while the ages have varied
in much they have all displayed
the common egotism of declaring
themselves more deeply stepped
in infamy and more abandoned
than any age preceding. What
sort of thing is this horrible ego
tism, and upon what tendency
does it fatten and perpetuate it
self? Take a man at random from
the average of mankind, and ques-
ton him as to his individual stat
US, and he will generally declare
himself in advance of his progen-
itor. The individual constantly
values his moral and mental po-
sition equal if not superior to the
man of Yesterday. He speaks of
the man of yesterday as of one
who walked in dim lights, unbless-
ed by the present flood of light
and knowledge. But turn his at
tention to our public men, and he
will probably begin to glorify the
giants of the past and deplore the
decadence of greatness and purity
among public men in these degen-
crate days. Individually, it will
be observed, no man is willing to
admit any falling off in brains or
morals. Subjectively man is pro-
crossing in all desirable things.
effectively the race is on the re-
trograde. 1t is an imusing ego
tism, but its outcome is false teach
ing and that continually.
For the individual measures the
progress of his time as certainly
and exactly as the developments
of science and the triumphs of
invention. And the gentlemen
who are laboring, with an energy
worthy of a better cause, to con
vince their worlds that this is an
exceptionally villainous period,
simply declare that they are ex-
ceptionally villainous themselves.
They are a part of this time; they
do their work in it; and as they
are swift to appropriate credit for
anything good in it they will be
compelled to bear their portion OF
the illfame that age will earn for
itself. No man above the grade
of idiocy, either now or in the
future, can be made to believe that
all political villainy pertains to
any set of politicians to-day; nor
will any man of common sense
believe that all the good and pure
men edited Democratic newspa-
pers in the year 1873. Some
things cannot be done as well as
others, and one of them is that
no amount of accusation can con-
vince men of common sense that
any set of men enjoy a monopoly
of rascality. Take, for example,
the retroactive salary act of last
winter. Admit it to be all that
certain individuals declare it to be.
Call it robbery and outrage, and
say that it measures the villainy
and avarice of our public men.
Admit all this, if you please, and
then examine the official record.
1t will be found that majority OF
the Democratic members of Con
gress voted for the act, while a
majority of the Republican mem.
bers voted against it. But what
will be concluded when all, Dem
ocrats as well as Republicans
shall, six months hence, be found
drawing their increased pay with
out q murmur. Now if the act il
inherently wrong, there is the
/ best of reasons for declaring tina
? the world is measurably better to
l day than it was less than ten year
> ago. For the same thing wa
done in 1866, in the face of all tn,
1 nation, and without bringing dow
! public protest. Thus public sen
: timent has advanced, and the or,
= that morally we are going to tn
Q dogs is absurd.
: It is as we'll to remember tina
: all the minor gods of mankin'
were only erring men in their da