The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1878-03-02
PERSONAL HONOR M pol,I,cs.

The old time prim and straight poll, !
tician is laughed at these modern days. /
The black neck-stocls, swallow-taii coat /
and shining beaver are only used now to |
cAricature the old lawmakers Of a !
halfceutury since. or institute a dis |
paragiug comparison between him and |
his more stylish but less honorable sue
oessor. Ii is true that thirty or fifty |
years since the code prevailed. but then !
! the nation bad no credit mohilier or
back-pay, stock -jobbing or Indian con-
tracts resting like bad dinner upon |
! the throbbing breasts OF it's well dressed, |
fiery bat honest Legislators. Oar north
ern brethren have reviled the duelling
prociNities al the southern members,
and to some purpose, because the prae>
tice has fallen into disuse as much from
their ridicule as from any other cacse.
But among the men of the first half
century of our national existence, or
even doRn to the commencement of the
war, who held themselves personally
! responsible for their actions, words or
bearing, no single Dukes Ames, Schuy-
Ter Coliax or Belknap ever came TO the
surface. Indeed this personal honor
nd personal responsibility constituted
the best safeguard which the ingenuity
of man OF the care of Deity ever erected
about the treasury OF the United
States
1t is true there were many features
about il exceeding liable to objection;
but the objections only affected the
principals, while the tax and 1.-THE
money of the masses rested securely in
the vaults until needed to discharge
an honestly aud intelligentiy contracts
ed obligation OF the government In
those good old days of personal honor
and personal responsibility which now
so tickle the disabilities Of the modern
statesman, - man did not enter the pub
lie service - beggar IN finance, and in
ten or twelve short years count his
riches 10y the millions, and go to Europe
TO iaunt his tarnished jewels and tar
nished honor and the shame of his couns
try in the face OF the intelligence and yire
tue OF the first men of the age. There
were no gold Jobs worked between the
treasury and Wall street, shared in by
the president and his banker but there
was money in sight at all times to pay
obligations and 20 care literally tor the
comforts of the MANNED and invaded
servants OF the government.
Tho contrast between the present
, congress and the national administers
ton and the one when Ames, Colfax,
Wood and score OF other credit mobil-
Ter operators we're skuiking to avoid
{ the angry glances OF sold out, plum
dered and shamelully robbed people, is
very great 1t indicates that personal
, honor aud public probity had in that
! dark epoch touched bottom. and we are
: at last ON the ascending scale Men of
character, men who are not only not
thieves themselves, but despise others
who are, have nov the control of the
government. Who would dare TO offer
; Mr.. Hayes racing stud or a cottage
at Long Branch Who would dare to
: approach his war secretary or private
secretary with n proposition to share in
an Indian contract, or in combination
, to cheat the government. out of tax on
/ whisky Hayes and his cabinet may
I not be last all we would have them to
be. bat then they are such wonderful
. lunge ahead, as compared with his
predecessor, that we can never be
half grateful enough for the
boon. 1t may be true even in that
/ there was little black skulIduggery"
I turns by which this grateful change
came about, but the effort to shield and
p protect the vile instruments of the
fraud are decently mild, and reassur-
, inely fitful and uneven Public opinion
is beginning to respect itself, and is
, forcing returning boards and visiting
: statesmen to DO the same Indeed,
| many of those visiting Solons would pur-
chase severance from each other and
the local statesmen Of the Wells An.
derson stripe at q considerable expense.
but this delightful immunity is not in
the market for sale, since there is no
Durell now on The bench in New Or
leans. and no helted soldier to dispense
the state government or overawe the
courts.
Direct personal responsibility is a
good thing in politics. and although it
may be considered little oil fogyish.
yet we would be glad to see it come into
more general use than it has been in
for the last fifteen years.