The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1878-09-18
OUR CHINA LETTER.
KIU KANG, July 24th, 1873.

ing no one to "lecliOneer" him, a. the
peScefulQ) citizens Of Kentucky have
at this season Of the year. As the
hrst Monday IN August approaches it
brings to my memory the good days Of
yore, when water melons, fve-cent
ginger cakes and free fights we're the
order of the day; when all the boys
from the surrounding country were Gin
town" in new linen trOwers and calico
shirts and broad handmade wooden
suspenders, aud all the "town boys"
we're up in arms like game cocks in .
barn.ySrd or black and tans at a log
rolling, each with q jealous lookout for
the rights and honor of the fraternity.
l even now, as l write, see q crowd
gathered at the old public we'll to see
q negro dance or q foOt-race, and an
other crowd over on the diagonally OPP
pOsite side of the old courthouse to see
two intoxicated men decide, by muscle
and gAs-chiefy the latter. the rela-
tive merits of iEo competing candi-
dates.
But politics are motor is not
(Which 2)-my business, and presume
the professionals-which seems to in.
clude the majority of your citizens,
from the lists of announcements, ("
will decide that l am not qualified TO
make any suggestions. Before you re-
ceive this the election will have passed
and some one will be elected, and some
one else will be gratiied by knowing
how mapy friends he has who would
have preferred him. But in looking over
your paper for q few weeks past, l
have been amazed to see such methods
employed to carry political ends. 1
beg to offer a few suggestions as a neu-
trail party and friend to all concerned
in your recent contest, and point out q
few inconsistencies in the methods too
generally employed to further political
ends, which, think, are founded in q
of the effects such
measures are calculated to have on
minds. 1st. There seems
to have prevailed the notion-which |
think essentially wrOng-that to secure
an election, all that is necessary is to
ones opponent, by whatever
method that may be done. If A and
B are candidates for County Clerk, for
and A can make it clear that
B is disqualified for the office, does it
ogically follow that A is competent 7
DR., suppose, as in the late primary
contest between Messrs. Smith 4 Cox,
f Mr., Cox saw proper to vote for his
leighbor, Berry, a few years ago, for
he Senate, is he thereby disqualified
o keep the books of the county in An
eligible shape3 Or, if his brOther-in-
aw happens to be a good pensman and
Idapted to ELL the office of county
Jerk, is he thereby any less calculated
o fill the duties of the Officer On the
'ther hand, Mr.. Smith, who is All &C.
gentlemen, who was {
uccessful man in every department
n which he has served, is he any more
n less calculated to fill the Office effici-
ntly because the perQuisites or extra
ees have amounted to a few hundred
Collars to bis opponent in the past 7
t occurs to one far enough from the
Gene to Judge impartially that all such
PERSONAL assaults are ill-timed and
wholly wide Of the issue. The voters
f Ohio county generally know the
nen coming before them for Office, and
fices are not made for men but, like
he Sabbath, men are supposed to be
eeded for the offices. So the rational
nd better method would be for each
nd all to submit their names as will
ing to undergo the sacrifice of the
rust, aud let the people vote in a good
umor and select the man of their
hOice. ...........
A second mistake, as it appears to
n outsider. is that of impugning the
'urity ofthe motives ofOpponents about
matters that do not justify it. 1 am
ot one who would recommend that
he official career of men in Office shall
ot be properly guarded. But take
he late mileage question. l would
i've any of the gentlemen involved
q that dispute or challenge Of honor
he credit Of having more sense than |
0 resort to overcharging to the extent
f a few miles as a means of gain. l |
hink either name thus far involved in |
hat matter in Ohio county represents
man who would not attempt such q
hing as known fraud of the kind |
implied; so would it not have been
etter for each one who was under the |
ecessity Of any explanation to have
tated the facts concerning himself,
which l presume was true of all such |
asses, that the whole thing was due to |
II oversight in not carefully computing |
he distance, but taking the commonly |
stimated distance, which is critically |
lmOst sure to be wrong. If one rep |
can make it so clear in his |
wn case that il was due to incorrect |
alta, does it follow by any kind of in
erence that his colleagues have drawn |
Mileage to which they knew they were
Ot entitled Hence, l submit that
. is the highth of folly to imply dishon-
r in the motives of our public men on |
UGH small grounds. If a mans house
r life was guarded by no stronger i
ense Of honor in his neighbors than
is honor is, no one could sleep in safe
y. We would have to adopt the hab-
Is of the feudal ages or the Texas
and wear swords and
'istols in our daily intercourse with
ur neighbOrs.
A Sd feature in our political ma
hInery which is amazing, is for a good
onest farmer to announce HIM |
elf ss candidate for assessor or con-
table &C., and be explicit in his views
pom the intricate problems of finance
Z international law, and such ques-
Ions, In the first place what connec-
ion can there possibly be between the
uties Of a coroner, for example. and
national system of finance. There |
A