The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-10-22
FROM THE CAPITAL.
All About. the President and the
PresidenCy-The ItinerAnt Pres
ident-SOme Philosophy.
the star.

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dieted, is the annual repetition of lit
any of mixed irony and indignation over
the absences of the President from the
Capital, which take place between the
close of the sessions of Congress and
their commencement. The notion OF
those wno-enlarge upon this subject ap-
pears to be that the President occupies
to the country position similar to that
of the bombardier in a gun-squad, whose
mission is to keep his thumb on the
touch-hole of the piece to guard against
explosions. Now, in this matter, one of
two things is certain: Either the Pres
ident comprehends his duty and
knows whether or not his pres
ence is required, Of which
he is bett% judge than his critics
and in which, until the contrary ap-
pears, he is entitled to the presumption
of being able to decide correctly; or he
does not comprehend his duty; in which
case, his presence and his absence are
alike unimportant. The prevailing idea
appears to be that, in consideration Of
the fact that he gets pretty high pay for
his services, the President of the United
States, like pegger of shoes or picker
of oakum, is bound to put in good ten
hours service, each legal day OF the
twelvemonth, in the business of govern
ing, and should be regularly "docked"
in case of any want of punctuality in
his attendance. Now it maybe pervers-
ity; but l have been rather inclined to
look upon it as evidence of good sense in
| General Grant, that he pays no attention
| to these clamorS and ''meets and ad-
journs on his own motiou"r-goes and
comes as his own sense of duty or his
own inclination, his business OF his
| pleasure, happens to direct.
The source of this clamor is easily dis
coveraDle. There are, at low calcula-
tion, twenty-five thousand men in the
United States, each OF whom religiously
believes that but for his plans, labors
and sacrifices, the President would not
have been elected. Not more, probably,
than one-ourth of these have realized
the rewards which they conceived to be
due to them for their services; and the
remainder, with, perhaps, three or four
times as many more, have claims upon
the fountain OF patronage, which they
regard as OF an imperative character.
Not less, it is to be presumed, than fifty
per diem of this class OF individuals ar
W
with the President, the purpose of which
is to get somebody into Office at the ex-
pense OF having somebody else turned
out. Not finding the President at his
post, Newspaper Row is the next
place OF resort, where complaint is
entered OF neglect of public duty
on the part OF an officer, one OF the
causes Of whose absence is anxiety to
save his own life. by escaping from the
| incessant wolriment OF this order OF in
dustrlals. Their newspaper now takes
up the subject, and proclamation is made
OF the enormity of Presidential derelic-
tions. He who ought to be at the Capt.
tai performing dally his regular work of
executing the laws, is Off at watering
places, he is on journeys, he attends en-
tertainments, anu witnesses the solem-
nIzation OF horse races: all the time like
q mule VINO has broken out of his pas
ture in the woods and rushed into the
clearing to- escape the attentions of u
nest OF Yellow jackets, he is tearing
from one place and one crowd to anolh-
er, in the hope to secure reprieve from
The pesterings Of the horde OF political
insects by which he Is pursued.
POLITICAL CRITICISM.
q Every public act of every public man
is u legitimate subject OF criticism; and
every neglect OF duty proper ground OF
complaint. OF such acts there Is very lit
tie criticism; OF such neglects very little
| complaint. The reason is obvious, but
it is not credItable: there is little Ca
pacity. II requires some knowledge and
some information to decide correctly q
| question OF constitutional law, or to dis
cuss proftably point of political or
economical policy. OF course it is ex-
pected OF the party journalist and corre-
| spondeut TO ind, if he is one side, ey-
erythlng as it should he, and-il on the
other, everything as it should not be-;
| but he VINO is capable of deciding upon
| the merits OF an administration by count
ing the number OF days Oh which the head
OF The same is at or is abseut from his
post, forms has opinion too entirely upon
the light OF internal EVIDENCE TO be u sale
| director of others i'll theirs.
SOME PHILOSOPHY.
There are TWO points in this connec-
ton. which 1t may not be altogether I'M
| profitable to present. Education, being
| a thing essential to the citizen of a re-
public, whatever application can be
made Of the science that ID taught In the
schools to affairs and interests OF a pub
lie character can not be otherwise than
useful in developing the mind of the
citizen to the desirable magnitude and
in The desirable direction. Therefore,
there is, first!
THE PHYSIOLOGICAL POINT.
Every man is endowed by nature with
a certain amount of vitality over and
above what is essential to the mere
preservation OF his animal existence.
This surplus of vital force he can, with
out danger, employ for an useful pur-
pose: TO the advantage, as the case may
be, of himself, of others, or of the pub
lie. Ii he uses more than this surplus,
he gradually eXhausts his energies, dI-
minlshes his efficiency, and dies; and to
such exhaustion, labor OF the brain con-
tributes as Invariably as labor OF the
body. If, for example, PRESIDENT OF
the United States were to respond
ko every official requirement, and,
in addition were 10 comply with all the
demands of his party upon his time and
attention, and with all the claims Of
members of his party for the consider
alton of their respective merits and the
settlement Of their disputes and rival
ries-and no less tnau this is expected
Lar hn