The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-08-18

There is one aspect OF the election
which is now pending that even an Easy
Chair can properly observe, and that ID
the general demand for political honesty
and "high tone" The phrase " high
toned" has become very ridiculous from
its application to pepper-pots, but it has
o very ineligible meaning. which moth
ing else can express more aptly. 1t is
like the word gentleman" which has
been curiously abused and made to stand
for the most inconsistent characters and
qualities, but which is still, as Tennyson
calls it, the grand old name" With
the universal demand for higher polit.
ical tone, however, it is easy to see how
much skepticism and contempt there is
both of any assertion that there is room
for improvement and of any resolute
effort to improve. The shyster-states.
man is not unknown even in this happy
land in the hour of its Centennial glory,
and be is firmly convinced that he is the
only man who understands human ma.
ture and practical politics. AS DR..
johnson was of opinion in his Diction'
airy that patriotism" is the last refuge
OF scoundrel, so the shyster.statesman
is scornfully sure that reform" is the
easy cry of charlatans and rascals.
One of his favorite tricks is to de.
nounce the protest against political
cheating and official fraud as pharisa.
ism II members of the party suggest
that honesty is the best policy, and
that prompt investigation and punish
ment to party offenders by the party
will tend to retain public confidence in
the party, the shyster.statesman derides
them as boiler than thou" men, and
dishonesty and fraud are practically
oondoned by him. This cry of contempt
is very terrible to many persons, and.is
often sincerely repugnant to them.
They do not suppose themselves to be
better than their neighbors, and they
recoil from seeming to think so. They
therefore appear to be half ashamed of
their own convictions, and they are very
likely to betray the very cause that they
wish to serve. But this is proof of
cowardice. A man ought to have the
courage to bear reproach when it is alb
solutely unjust, and known to him to be
so. The shyster.statesman is only a
loud bully. No man need be afraid of
him or his noise. Men practically en-
gagged in politics are clever enough, and
have plenty of experience but their
great want is pluck. They are timid
from a thousand reasons, and are con.
stantly outwitted by their own timidity.
The sarcastic epithet truly good"
scares them as much as a charge of
theft; and the desire to propitiate and
evade and compromise perpetually be-
trays their own cause.
A body of excellent citizens who
really have ":no axes to grind" although
the shyster can not believe that any body
should not concern himself with politics
except for a selfish purpose, suggest that
when Offices are to be filled by election
they wish to vote for honest, enlighten-
ed, progressive men. The shyster states
man ridicules them at once as congress
of saints which want an angel for every
Office. But if to insist upon honest of.
fcers is angelic politics, it bids fair to
become very popular, as educated and
well.bred men see no reason why igno-
rance and vulgarity should control public
affairs, and they take part in politics.
The shyster statesman is ready for them,
and sneers at them as professors" and
Il" prgs" and kid-gloved" and "super.
fine" There is laugh, as there is
when the clown jumps into the ring
with a saucy sally. But the shyster as.
sumes that education and intelligence
and decency and morality and courtesy
are repugnant and distasteful to the
American people, and as usual the
shyster is mistaken. If his fellow
and bummers and venal editors
and party runners of every kind and de-
cree were the people, this kind OF argu.
ment would be effective. But they are
not. and the fear of their noise and the
panic which it excites in the minds of
many well.meaning persons are unspeak'
ably ludicrous. The thoroughbred pol.
itican of a low type-that is, our friend
the shyster statesman--undoubtedly de-
spises, with all the sincerity of which he
is capable, the demand of honesty, de-
ceucy, aud fair play in politics. His
tactics consist of retorts in kind. If a
damaging charge is brought against any
fellow partisan, he levels one, false or
true, against some member OF the other
side. He sneers persistently at the
suggestion of patriotic and impersonal
If opposition to the regu-
lar" party decree is manifested by any
Of the brethren, his instructive remark
is, What does he wantY' His sole
reliance is upon what be calls the party
/ of hn