The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-11
LET BUSINESS sUPERsEDE POLITICS


That famed Green Mountain Boy, Matt
Carpenter, pupil of geographic Choate, who
went to the United States Senate to practice
law in the Court Of Claims, gave utterance a
few months ago to the maxim which the WIS
consin Legislature has taught him how to act
upon and illustrate to-wit: "Drop politics and
attend to business" The advice was origin
ally given to Louisianians, and it is somewhat
impressed upon their memory by the aus
pices under which it was announced. In
sense somewhat at variance from that IN
which the oracle was intended to apply We
endorse the counsel as 9 xceedingly good and
worthy of all acceptation. 1t IS presumed
tina. the eloquent, spicy and humorous bar
rister intended to persuade his listeners that
they were wasting precious time in their
futile efforts to change public affairs and the
foreordained DEGREES of the great chieftain
who guides the course and curbs the fiery
impulse of the Radical party. But taking
his dogma in another bearing it may be
accented and followed as eminently sound.
As we would interpret the maxim, it should
advise the people to look first at that which
most Immediately and most directly concerns
them, choosing first the matters which promise
most good or threaten most damage Letting
politics and politicians wholly and severely
alone, the people will do well to look to that
which concerns the value Of their property,
the increase of their income, the soundness
Of their credit, the development Of their
markets and the safety Of their earnings and
savings
If. for example, men Of business find the
current medium Of exchange unstable, ex-
panding one day, contracting the next, IRE
deemable, representing nothing surely and
nothing permanently, deceptive as posses
sion and false as q measure of values, it will
surely be we'll if they turn away from politics
and labor to attend to the business Of re-
forming the currency. This is business Of
supreme importance, and should take pre-
cedence of mere politics.
II, again, producers of grain. tobacco, meat,
lumber, sugar, tar and cotton sell their sur
plus and find that swindling tariff shears
away about one-third part Of their returns in
foreign merchandise, it becomes to each and
all of them a serious matter of business, de-
serving Of prompt inquiry and vigorous &C
ton. The cheated consumers Of importa-
tons, who give two days work for one days
returns, ought to drop all politics and attend
to this great and pressing business without
loss of time.
It is also q matter for business considera-
ton when the system Of government is SO
operated as to cost three times as much as it
ought, to the great damage of all material
interests. When dropsical taxes swell to
sickly proportions and the proceeds go to
benefi. anybody else except those who pay
them, it becomes a business matter with hold
ers Of property to eschew noisy and unproit-
able politics, and devote themselves to cure
of the consuming cancer which threatens
the commonwealth.
If the people find that half the property OF
the Republic is owned by a few thousand men
who combine to shift the load Of public ex-
pense from themselves to the forty millions
who own the other half, the fact is one Of pre-
ponderating weight and moment, and means
of radiance becomes business matter to
which politics must be subordinated. Such
business as that is not to be trihed with, even
to please politicians.
So, too, if The wages of the laboring classes
fall short farther and farther from day to day,
of what they need for q comfortable subsist-
ence, it is business matter which demands
the prompt attention Of all the people, who
must lay aside pleasure and politics in order
to rectify a great abuse or complication Of
abuses from which all suffer. 1t is well
understood that the business of any citizen
is not limited to his Office, shop, store, mill
or farm, but reaches out to and takes hold Of
all that can help or hinder him in the pursuit
of health, happiness or honest gain. 1t is
his business, therefore, to talk, work and vote
for good government, administered by good
men with wise economy.
The practice of thus attending to the bust
ness most eminently and peculiarly impor-
tant ought to be inculcated until it becomes
universal aud supersedes politics altogether.
In the places where such politicians as Car
penter have been, should be installed our
model men of business, who will "let poll
tics alone" and strive for the rehabilitation
Of their countrymen With capable lovers Of
business interests and true friends of the peo-
pie in our Congress and legislatures, we should
be exempt from the plague which politics and
politicians pour out upon our devoted land
like Walls of wrath.
We would in this sense not only advise the
people to "mind their business and let poll
tics alone" but to use all available efforts te
keep politicians out of the positions which
none but business men ought to occupy.