The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-03-30
PUBLIC PEOPLE.

cIaSS 81 people VINO can Oily ~ ipPioAiiiie'N
described az public. Confning our remark
= to the masculine hemisphere OF political put
lie life, we viii try to give an outline sketcl
b of The class in their more prominent charac
teIistic5
The carly life Of the men who become pub
lie differs ia 10 essential respect from that Q
the average American boy, youth, adolescen
! and adult. Tie public man may, in Ii,
, childhood have gladdened the heart Of good
4 and pious mother, and may have been the
the basis Of the hopes Of very much respected
!, member Of q church. He may have been the
!. son of {. deacon or even OF a pastor, minister
or rector He may have been taught the cate
chsm with scrupulous fidelity, and he may
have absorbed moral teachings by the family
hear hstone, or at the Sunday school or under
lroppings Of the preached word from the viii
lage pulpit He may have been, as often hap
pens, over-dicted on the food of did Tactic
morality and over-dosed with the medicine of
perpetual ethics. He becomes usually we'll
trained in habits and well taught in school
book lore. Until he is past his ma ority
he seldom gives indication that he
aims to be anything else but AL honest
farmer, learned and honorable lawyer,
careful merchant, hard Jogging and vigil
ant doctor, toilsome and conscientious in
structor of youth, a solid and faithful banker,
or an educated, lofty minded journalist. in
whom there shall be no guile. He feels an
noyed if it is even limited that he may become
1 dow
avaricous, covetous, faithless, treacherous,
overbearing and tyrannical. He knows no
such word as ''fall." Strong in conscious in
| noce nee, feeling an internal prowess of recti-
tude, he deems himself an indestruc:ible and
never ceasing moral automaton that cannot
blunder.
We watch our spotless youngster for few
years, see him embark on the varying, crook
ed, uncertain and treacaerous stream Of poit-
les or business, and after a season we lind
him yielding to the temptations by which he
is surrounded, and following examples which
he finds but too common in his daily walk
He seeks Office takes the infection of dis |
honesty, becomes possessed of the spirit of
intrigue and is wholly leavened with amb- |
tian. His footsteps wander into devious and !
tortuous paths Els voice becomes metallic |
like the gold he covets, and his face as
sumes the shining solidity Of a brass can
non. External show Of saavity takes the
place of good feeling. Whether he openly
and boldly defes the moral sense of his tel
low-men, or whether he plays the easier part
Of the hypocrite and pretends to morals which
he contemns, he becomes at heart wholly de-
PRAYED
Then with ambition thoroughly awakened,
with greed for wealth ted and stimulated by q
knowledge OF its power, with a familiar
of the vices and weaknesses of
he is educated for the career of
'public man" and is ready to prostitute his
and his talents for the use of any
one who can pay him in lnonev, distinction,
position or influence. He is essentially in the
market and for sale to the man, the clique,
he corporation, tie party or the functionary d,
lis fall none can fix, not even himself By !,
What influences he was first Sc
luced into scoundrelism he would be at
loss to say. He knows that he is fallen by
lis loss of set-respect; he is made to feel the
act still more wildly by the loss Of the !,
aspect of good and honorable men. He ;,
ries to make up for the rottenness and dis !,
asses of his moral nature by the splendor of \,
is wealth, the richness Of his dress, the
lxury of his dwelling his farms, his fine .;
cams, his carriages and his diamonds. He
ara es and squanders and CANDLES with the ],
irnings Of his prositUted talents. He keeps
n in his career Of immortality until his in
uence is worn out and he can no longer aid
lose who give gold for political service. He
len sinks by degrees into driveling and
runken lmbeciiity, disgusting wreck, or
Sc survives in gilded idleness. deserted by
is compeers despised by all worthy men, ce
rtured with life's disappointments, and til
wing nothing to look back upon that can ri
atty rational pride. mr.
Pablo men are of various grades. and hold we
cir favors at varying prices. Some are VIC
ysters around the lower walks and alleys of th,
lti"s, who, for little tilttery, little a |
untenance and n few dollars, will sell them by
Ives to debased uses Others are frequent liza
of the galleries of legislative bodies, and po
/ their services at such rates as contractors, an
lemers and spectators can afford to pay. car
me are lobbyists or wholesale dealers in he
,rAl corruption. 4 more advanced grade of anl
litcal harlots hold seats in the Legislature fisl
drive a double business by making the
5 Of statute books while breaking all the the
IS of morality. Some hold seats in Con- ing
SIS and peddle out their voting ald speak sho
allurements to the wealthiest and most son
eral Of the jobbers and monopolists who re- dow
re their aid II senators and lawyers they Mis-
sell their votes as representatives of mu:
ties, and then take fees for legal services in ure
rts where the selfsame matters are in ton
stion. Some exercise judicial functions, resi-