The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-21
HONESTY TO THE FRONT.

4 constant and perhaps wearisome hammerin
of the Independent newspapers against pr
: litical corruption is this: That it has made
q fashionable to be honest, and has emanc
: pated the more sagacious men eyerywhe,
Il. from the slavish fear f their own party. Til
y large majority Of every political organic tito
o desire only honest government and the publ
! good, and If they can once be brought t
J consider these objects as paramount to mer
: partisan success a great gain is made. l
times OF high party spirit, it hurts publ
Q man worse to be considered untrust worthy il
s the caucus sense, than to be proved dishan
est. We think the contrary is true at thi
moment.
The more intelligent politicians are begin
ming to see that the confidence Of the mass O
) decent people is worth more to them tina,
cut the other day Mr.. Greene and Mr.. Inger
soil we're both worthy gentlemen. But We
doubt if the former gained q vote by hi:
staunch adherence to the Administered ion
and the latter certainly gained thousands BY
the prevalent impression that he was honest
and upright We do not expect the golden
} age to come in this year or the next. But
there is unquestionably some hope for reform
IN the fact that mere craftsmanship is losing
some of its efficiency, and character is grow
ing more valuable in public life.-N Y. Ti
bune.
This is cheerful view Of public affairs
and public men, but down here we have been
obliged to look at them through such muddy
medium that they still appear dingy. That
is has become fashionable to be honest may
be true, but the followers Of that good fashion
are still SO few in political life. that the change
is scarcely perceptible. The fear which men
always have for the party that elects them OF
sustains them, is measured by the benefits
which they derive from their positions, and
the danger Of losing them. The politician
dictates to his party when he can, and he
obeys dictation to keep in Office or gain pro-
motion. When his party is made odious by
populations and frauds, ''capital confessed
and proved. be pretends to repudiate then,
and puts on show of honesty.
Sometimes party, put in power by popu-
lar enthusiasm, after long tenure Of Offices,
becomes manifestly corrupt, when the people
with reopened eyes begin to see how greatly
they have been abused. Reaction supervenes,
leaders are criticised and censured, the hand
ling of public money is scrutinizsd, reforms
are howled for and then politicians put on
show of honesty and independence. Political
honesty becomes politically fashionable among
and bring forth no works meet for repent
Nance.
When unbearable abuses arouse the masses
Of the people and changes of ofice-holders
are made in pursuit of reform, popular in
dignation eliminates on election day and
rapidly subsidies afterwards. The customary
unconcern about public affairs comes over
the country and under it the newly chosen
servants forget their masters and act on all
matters for their own personal benefit.
Once in two or four years, there is pubic
opinion felt throughout the rank and file, and
during these transient revvals politicians stop
to learn what the people want and say but
the excitement soon being over, their atten-
ton is limited to the narrowed circle within
which are none but oficeholders, ofice-seek-
ers, political managers and the middlemen,
who generally stand between the people and
aspirants. As long as those in power are not
interfered with by a complaining people, they
will give themselves no trouble to win the
favor and applause Of the masses, but be con
tent with being recognized as shrewd and
sagacious by their companions in success.
But when corruption becomes manifest and
the wronged public demand changes and re-
forms, q show of newly discovered virtue is
put on. and even politicians will condescend
to admit that there is something in character
which even public men must sometime pre-
tend to recognize.
When party men have become corrupt by
long continuance in power they are reduced
far below the moral level of those who voted
for them. The masses of the Republican
party are now about the same as they were
years ago, not much worse and certainly not
much better, but the leaders and oficeholders
have degenerated so much and so VIGOROUSLY
that the Republican voters are no longer
willing to be judged by the character of their
representatives. This show of reform, this |
fashionable honesty is but little more than |
forced concession to popular demands, indi- |
eating no change Of spirit, purpose or con-
duct
If popular vigilance never slept, and if the
people and their organs were always on the
alert, politicians would be forced to act upon
the motto that "honesty is the best policy
even among oficeholders. BUTT unfortunate
~ happens that popular watchfulness is ex-
hausted by a campaign Of a few weeks, and
then the officeholders have it all their own
way for two Or four years and until another
election.
But Notwithstanding all the tricks, capers,
pranks and peccadillos Of the public men of
The republic, there is comfort in the thought
that the people are better and more honest
than those whose who pretend to represent
hem.
GLADSTONE ON THE AMERICAN REV.
OLUTION.