Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-06-30
From the Albany Journal.
Reducing a Chimera to Practice.

Reducing a Chimera to Practice.
We are told that the Presidents order
relating to officers and politics does not
mean what 1t was supposed to mean. The
construction commonly put upon 1t is not
such as he contemplated. 1t was not in
tended, we are now assured. to exclude
public officials from taking part In polti-
cal affairs. These hapless mortals, who
are presumptuous enough to help the
President do the peoples business and
who are made the scapegoats for every
criticism, are still to be recognized as cit
liens and still to be accorded the rights
and prerogatives Of others. The design
simply was to prevent their political work
from interfering with their public duties,
and to prohibit the undue use Of their po-
sitions TO control caucuses and conven-
tons.
This appears to be horse of another
color--in fact, it Is the old tried war-horse
OF past campaigns honorably restored to
fresh service with few new trappings
He Is not to be left TO chafe in his stall in
enforced quiet and wasted experience
while the fl ght is lost for the want of just
such help. On the contrary, he may snuff
the battle from afar and may plunge into
its fire and smoke with all his old vigor
At least so we read the present version
We are told. indeed, as if it were some-
thing new, that their service to their par
ty must not be at the expense of their
public duties; but did anybody ever sup
pose there was any other rule. Has it
ever been understood that officers might
perform their party service at the expense
of the public service Such an announce
ment, If il means what it appears TO mean
would seem quite superfuous; and if it
means something else, it ought to be more
definitely explained.
A further and more specific meaning of
the order. we are told, is that officers are
not to be sustai ned in using their power
to influence caucuses and conventions.
When they employ this advantage to de-
feat the popular will. such restraint is
right. Whatever the official or any other
citizen does in any phase Of political
campaign should be 10 give effect to the
public Judgment. 1t is just as much the
obligation of one class as of another
And if there are evils in this matter, there
IL force in public sentiment which does
much to correct them. Neither the fed
eral official nor any politician can afford
to run counter to the plain popular feeling
Such course would be fatal to the very
success he seeks, and the rule is no more
applicable to one set than to another.
President Hayes i. unquestionably gov
erned in his action by honest purposes and
by sincere devotion TO tie public well
fare. His efforts deserve to be treated
with the candor and respect of friendly re-
gard, and with the same independence and
fairness which he himself eyinces. Re
publieans will desire, wherever possible,
to give him cordial support. Where
they deem him mistaken, they will say SC
with bis own irankness. We recognize
his earnest aim 10 elevate the public ser.
vice. and shall be glad, as the great body
of republicans will, to uphold him in ev'
cry well-directed effort to that end. But
this is something very different from the
chImera Of an absolutely non-political ser.
vice; and the doubt. misconstructions
contradictions and corrections which have
alre .dy followed his order should suggest
10 the President the wisdom of going at a