Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1877-10-11
Advice to Young Men.
By MATTHEW BRAMBLE.


of progression-andI use the term. pr
erosion in its best and most comprehe
sive sense. Some things have progress
to such style Of perfection that they ha
gone off on tangent Of wholesale licen
Of evil.
Times and things have changed since
was boy.
Some things have followed the true lil
of progression steadily onward, viii
others have made botcll of it.
| have lived ~ years. and have a right t
Judge from experience-the best judgmer
in the world.
But what has all this to do with adyic
to young men? That is just what | al
coming to; but allow me to do SO in m
own way-l am little particular abou
having my own way.
Well, young man. in the first place, don
90 running after office.
In the second place, don't touch an of
flee if it is offered you--it is delusion anc
4 snare.
In the third place, if you have beer
afflicted with a hankering for office, ant
have succeeded in capturing it. while you
retain the office lay your plans to go into
some respectable business just as soor as
You get out of office: a business winch
you can build up. and know that you have
something tangible. something honorable.
something respectable. Buy piece of
land and 90 to cultivatino the soil, and be
independent instead of being slave.
Why do give such advice? For the
reason set forth in my Introduction. Times
have changed since | was boy.
Once it was considered an honor to hold
public Office. whether by election or APP
pointnent. \ man felt a just pride in his
position as a public official Once it was
honorable tor a young man to aspire to
public office.
But now we have a public press. We
had a public press when | was a boy, but
the public press was a slow old coach
then; it has progressed to very fast en-
CINE now. From the staid. solid columns
OF facts. it has progressed to glaring head
lines of sensation and fiction. The old
fogy press Of my boyhood days. which
had q slow way of waiting for the truth
has given place to the live press of the pre-
sent day. which prefers the fast and sensa-
tional goddess. FalseIlOod, who stole and
ran away with Truths clothes while that
modest maiden was taking her morning
bath.
What has all this to do with public Of
flee?
Why. my dear sir. is it not proclaimed
from the house tops and upon the street !
corners that all public officials are thieves |
That. however honest and upright man
may have been before election or appoint |
ncnt TO Office. the moment he swcars to
conduct his office honestly he is seized
With mania to steal something? Is it
lot so promulgated by the public press
md do not the people believe it? Has ii |
lot come to that pass that any man who
uffers himself to become candidate for a
public office thereby places himself upon
he wheels of the public press to be broken
II pieces? Does he not soon learn to his
onstelnatiOn and horror that he is a thief
n disguise: that his father was a murderer
nd his mother a cOlIrtesan; that he has
ommitted petty larceny, burglary, rape.
and all the other crimes in the
alender? Don't you know all this. young
nan?
Take my advice. then, and save your {
equation, your self-respect, your indepen-
ence, and your good name, by steering
lear of public Office. If you should by ,,
ny means get into official position without
eng proven a thief. the press will get
on fixed before you get out of office. t
III OF your best motives and acts will be
'rtured into attempts to detraud. You t
Ill be interviewed. and whatever YOU y
lay say will be turned and twisted to
our dishonor. You will be investigated.
nd every man who wants the position
gu hold will trump up charges and coun-
r-charges. And if you are in a position
here you have appointments and remoy-
OF subordlnates, it will not be long be-
re you have a swarm of disappointed n
iscreants atter you with the venom of a
cir malice. e
Has the world and mankind really pro-
essed: Or has mankind refrigerated in
e scale OF being, until honesty and in
gritty of character have departed from
longst us? Are all men thieves by ma
re, or are they foully belied? What
orbld appetite is This that has seized up-
the people that they devour with avidi-
anything mean said or published about
cir neighbors? In
Dung man, you and / know that these
argos against our neighbors are lies.
know that the world is growing more
hest. we know that our neighbors and
ends are not thieves. but honest mon
know that public officials are not all
ewes, but are like other men-no better.
'haps. but no worse. tn
All TINS we may know, but, young man. wi
at matters it if we do not know if ? re-!
ii our knowing it ward off the mud m,
I Is thrown, or prove the accusations m o,'
liiist character to be the falsehoods they TAI
!! No! Then, young man, saw wood
livelihood, but touch not that which
1 piing down upon your head the avail
;he OF lies with which tie sensational
SIS stands loaded to the muzzle. to!
Dung man, seek some other calling. i'm
III sanity shall again predominant. until /. ii
Futhfui press shall take the place of the in
e ana sensational, and private character =, ]
held sacred. '''e''' the
axe my advice. young man. and Won BE- s5
oe happy, or go seeking for office and eni
miserable. '''e ''''u We,
ge.
Rc,UstcrI Cs,-, Ri
A"S"Sht. Xii