Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-22
TuERrIINap PASSION.

Somebody has defined the great
American vice to be, office-seeking.
Certain it is, that every vacancy de-
velops host of aspirants. From Presi-
dent of the United States, down to dis
trict constable, the Office is never per-
mitted to seek theman. In Tennessee,
Just now, the cloud of candidates sug-
gests the smile of the locusts of
Egypt. Devil-may-care editors say,
the more the merrier, at SO apiece for
announcements. In more thoughtful
moments they recognize it as bad
sign of the times. Can it be
remedied? What has brought it
about? We are all aware that few men
who are prosperous in their private
business, care to seek Office andface the
filings of politics. 1t might be argued
from this, that the army of aspirants is
recruited mainly from those who do
not succeed In private life. But the
man who fails to manage his own af-
fairs successfully, is not likely to be
more successful III managing the affairs
of others. So we are brought round to
the old axiom that the Office should
seek the man, instead of so
many men seeking the Office.
One Of our correspondents, some
weeks since, suggested that the emolu-
ments Of Office were larger in proper
tom than the rewardof productive labor,
while the labor itself was lighter, be-
sides the dignity" and hence the
widespread mania for Office. This
point deserves consideration, although
we could easily cite instances where the
reverse holds true; Judges, for instance,
whose salaries do not at all compare
with what they could realize from prac-
tee at the bar. We might also cite
Offices where the labor is alto
gether too great for one incum-
bent; in such cases we dc not see
that an increase of salary would at all
enable the officer to accomplish more
labor. but rather think the labor should
be divided. THERE'S no question but sala-
ries ought to bear prop ortiontothe
wages of similar talent in private in
dustry, in any given locality. We are
opposed to high salaries, or any other
device, as a bride to honesty. Elect
honest men, and there will be no need
to bride them. The tendency toward
centralism in this country for the past
decade, has steadily increased salaries,
in the face of steadily declining gold
premium. There is a disposition to
initiate European monarchies, and give
officials such salaries as willrender them
as independent as English nOblemen.
These imitators forget that the large
incomes of English noblemen are not
wrung directly from the pockets of the
people, but are largely the result of
great landed estates, the accumulatiOns
OF centuries under the law Of primo
geniture which makes beggars of all
the younger members Of their own fam
lies. The multiplicity Of oiEce-seekers
is not a good sign among any people.
A century ago that blunt old fOgy. DIR.
BENJAMIN Franklin, had some very
clear ideas On this subject, and We can
not close better than with a quotation.
He was the author of the primitive
Constitution of Penn sylvania, while
in a condition of transition from colo
NAL to confederate government. The
37th article was as follows:
"As every freeman, to preserve his
independence, IF he has not sufficient
estate.) ought to have some profession,
calling, trade, or farm, whereby he may
honestly subsist, there can be no neces-
sity for nor use in establishing offices
Of profit, the usual effects of which are
dependence and servility unbecOmrng
freemen IN the possessOrs and expect
ants. faction, contention, corruption
and disorder among the people. Where
fore. whenever an office, through IN
crease of fees or otherwise, becomes SO
profitable as TO occasion many to apply
for it, the profits ought to be -lessened
by the Legislature"