The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1877-09-13

Matters and Things in the Country.
"A Little Political PhilO>ophy.-
The approaching County Election.

THE INHABITANTS OF MARS.
One OF the latest queries raised by Science
is this: Is the planet Mas inhabited?
Now, who the deuce cares whether 1t Is or
not Our relations with the Marsites-be
there such-are so remote and ever likely
to be so remote that the matter is one OF
hardly fifteenth rate Importance. Let us
then turn our attention 10
MATTERS NEARER AT HOME.
Let us dev )te at least a moments notice
to The earnest and anxious multitudes OF
our citizens in and out of Leavenworth, who
at risk of the fatal ignoring Of caucuses, the
uncertain fortunes OF county conventions,
and all the slings and arrows of the Outra-
ceous political canvass, have challenged our
notice as candidates for the fat offices TO he
filled at the approaching
COUNTY ELECTION.
The number OF such, although it is
thought they are sill n minority OF all our
citizens, is so great that their movements
are worthy OF not little attention.
Ny point OF observation Is so distant IRON
the county seat, which acknowledge to be
the only source and center OF note worthy
political intelligence, that l snail not at
tempt to name or canvass the relative pros
| poets OF
THE SEVERAL CANDIDATES.
Ii is enough to saw that We who dwell and
| take our annual round of fever and ague IN
the Raw Valley and vicinity, have Of late
been looked upon with great interest and
favor by number of these gentlemen.
Some of Them have been in our midst, adj
miring our cheerful scenery, our tall corn,
our expectancy of hogs, and all that; they
have svmpatbIzed with us in our RIVERS and
fairly shaken with us in our agues-neyer
| forgetting to remind certain OF our number
| that we owe il to ourselves, our country, II
not cur God, to attend the County Conven-
ton clothed in the dignity of delegates, and
set our foot upon fraud, corruption and Po-
litical deviirv, in every shape, by voting
for their particular selves first, last, and all
the time Tor the office or offices in question
| WE ARE PLEASED
| that these gentlemen have visited us, the
most OF them for the first time. They have
| recognized our claims as voters, and have
invariably left us in possession OF the as
surance that Of all the candidates, they
|
| Of a chance for the nomination, and that
matter-of-course advantage conceded, that
their election must follow, We thank them
for this item of ormation-otherwise We
might go our whole length" for one OF the
distanced nags, and thus unwittlngly cast
our vote in vain, and besides losing the
prestige which one gets by being
on THE WINNING SIDE.
| But will not continue on this view long
er less l should seem TO be sarcastical and
Furthermore hurt my chances Of being dele
gated to the county convention, and what is
worse of being nominated for one of the well
| p,id Offices. | will even take different
tack" and fling little
hoNE-sPUS PHILOSOPHY
| in the teeth Of the old saw 20 often quoted
| in rebuke of the ardent ofiice-seeker, TO wit:
The Office should seek the man, not the
man the Office" This Is a piece OF absurd
| itv, and The wonder is that ], who live in
| this remote corner of Leavenworth county,
and at this advanced stage of the worlds
progress, should have been the first to find
il out. and brand it As such. The saw
originated and has kept its place on pep
pies tongues in ui.er blindness to the we'll
'--s
in physics, that The greater must attract
the less :, in other words that the thing
carving the greater amount Of attractive
power must attract the thing having
less of it. Now it is fact which it would
be shifting in the face of all human ex-
perience to DENY, that among men, the
greatest attractive force is money; and since
the average office represents far more money
than the average man, it follows that the
average man must be attracted by the Of
fee. and not vice versa. 1t would be just
As ecrepious to think of the Sun dancing at
tendance on the Earth, Venus, Jupiter or
any other "small-fry" planets, as TO think
of the office OF Sheriff of this county worth
eight or ten thousand dollars per annum,
going around among the impecunious Tom
Dick-and-I Iarry's OF our eligible popula-
ton, hunting Tor takers.
IN THE COUNTRY.
| Here in our country school district
elections. we have the idea OF .'the
Office seeking the man, very generally real
| lied, and what is the result? Men are ustl-
allv found. but they are usually the most
unworthy. incompetent, and unsuitable men
| in the district There is no pay i'm those
offices, and no opportunity for respectable
| stealing.
The appearance OF SO many able-bodied
men going about the country, and loaing
about the city every fall, begging, bluiiing,
lying, and whisky-baiting, just To
GET A NOMINATION,
might, but for n little sensible and practical
philosophy, excite disgust. 1t may, in
spite of ali extenuating considerations, be an
evil. If it is, the only remedy l can think
of is this. Reduce the salaries, perquisites,
and stealings. In the proportion of such
reduction will the zeal of the professional
place-hunter diminish and the pockets OF
taxpayers experience relief. l have ad-
verted to the
FEVER AND A6UK,
Not a very cheerful subject, now that
auinine is so high, and moral Peskiness so
naturally results from physical uneasiness
as i; does in this part of the country where
physicians are not always well encouraged,
and where spiritual guides are not allowed
preferred claims even upon 'yallow-legged"
chickens. We are having the chIlls here
all but unanimously. Never had them
with greater unanimity. But relief will
come, it Is thought with change Of wealth
er, so that the most of Us may live to shake
again another day. }. \. b.
Lenape, Sept Sth, 1877.