, 1875-10-09
Requirements Of Offices Of Trust.

htQuiTtuItHtS vi UlHtSS vi 1EuSts
The many irregularities which have Of
late years been exposed, in national and local
Offices Of public trust, show very plainly
that these Offices have not been filled with a
| proper sense Of what the requirements OF
| Candidates should be. If any dOubt exists
on this subject, comparison of public and
private interests dispels it at once. Compared
according to number. private positions OF
one, yet coimpatriiirY .'pes hundred exceeds
tegr. 'arities, those in business EiR.!s and tt-
notioesbly exceed those IN pnblic Offices. 81
The reason need not be longer sought for
it consists wholly IN difference in manner of
selection. The merchant. in selecting a
clerk, considers not only the reputation which
the candidates have for personal honesty, but
| also their habits, their associations, and their
general character as displayed under trial.
The candidate for public office is examined
only as to his party lcya,ry and perSonal hon
es;y. the lack of proc'f of his ever having
committed theft being sufficient evidence
upon the last named qualification.
This distinction has no ground Of existence,
| even Upon the plea of political necessity
Not one officr in II thousand which are filed
by ballot is in any sense political Office
| Beyond legislative bodies, there are scarcely
| any elective offices III which man fitness
depends at all upon bis political aft ations,
and political feeling can scarcely make itself
shown in other Offices without dishonest ac-
tons resulting therefrom. The necessary
| restraints, precautions aud criticisms incident
TO business are almost entirely removed when
the affairs Of bureau, Il poSt-ofEce, or a
county clr-k's ofiice are administered bya set
of men 70 whom the necessities Of their clan
are allowed for an instant TO aft. ct the Nan
Agement and e&p-nse Of bu-iucrs.
The Qualifications Of candidate for any
Office, and particularly for a position Of trust,
should be exactly those of a confidential
agent or clerk-hohesly in all It's forms, tree
! dom from bad associations, good business
habits and abilities. devotion to the interests
Of the employers, and clear idea 81 ic who
his employers really are. 4 clerk, no matter
how irreproachable his own persor,sl habits,
who allows his friends TO help theInsr vea
from his employers money drawer, Is proper
ly sent 10 the penitenriary as un accomplIcs
OF thieves. An agent uh" never steals 2
penny, but who, In buying for his employer,
pays larger prices 10 his OWN friends than be
need pay elsewhere, Is discharged for un-
| faithfulnrss, and perhaps prosecuted for fraud.
4 clerk who cannot detect knavish intent in
such of his associates as every one else sus-
poets il discharged ~ incompetent. and one
who heIplessly wrings hl- hands AZ lie sces
thieves making off with HIS empl yer 5
property is suspected of iiiocY, OF OF cowardice
at least
To purify the administration Of public
affairs distinction must be made at the polls
between political and nou-political office.
Principle and policy alikc dictate tins
| Whatever party gains come through the in
! iuence of politicians in offices CT trust must
be paid for by the peoplr at large, The
| inevitable result is public distru-t. No mat
! ter how long corruption in office remains un-
detected, or how determined party managers
may be 10 reform AZ some future time. detec-
ton always comes before repentance, and the
consequent loss of public confidence costs a
! party more than all It's uurighteous gains can
pay for. The spectacle of unfaithIulness OF
Incompetence in office going unrebuked has Il
demOrnlizing effect upon many persons in
| positions Of private trust, and whole com
munI'y must suffer the results of the decline
Of confidence induced thereby.
II in any town half dozen men of repn'e,
from ench Ihrty, were TO call meeting for
/ she nomination Of candidates Tor non political
"fficss. the principle of having public busi-
mess transacted 10y bUsiutss men might be es'
lbli>hed with but IIt,le trouble. In some
tnwuS this has already bren done, and 10 unt
I u NiIc- pHitTt~ duu HOiiilchI hAhRciH-oI hhe
! -nfeIei; really party issues remain rs dis
siucr a. ever. Neither party can defeat d
ICker famed III 'hls manner without Esnch
;nr,hca,Ion of itself as will MAXI defeat
r,'alIy acceptable TO the non partisan uppo.i
tiou Compared with the plan sugg-s;ed
;h,r of " "r,iorrn " party tickets is feeble and
rnpron sing, Tor reform tickets arr generally
nominated too late 10 he considered fr-,-wil
otf-riDgs Towns where nOn-partisan ticke ,
cannot be made TO succeed should r-ceiv,
prompt attention from missionaries and per
slns interested IN the causes Of crime