The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1878-05-01
THE OFFICE SEEKING MANIA.

To an Intelligent European lhe
Universal mania for office ~ the
United States eEoites surprise, aud
o one acquainted with the onerous
luties, fearful responsibilities and
pay usually attached to
official position, the wonder Ia extreme
No other land under the bright sun
Affords 80 many aud sure paths 10 case,
wealth and business importance as does
ours, Average intelligence, reasonable
effort and time always insure success In
tho ordinary walks Of business life, II
would seem that opportunities such rs
these ought to engage the activity,
talent and energy Of the people Yet
II is not SOL and we make tho
confession sadly, The hordea OF men,
Of all parties, who descend into the
arena Of politics aud struggle and
squabble like q pack OF hyenas over
their disgusting feast, is circumstance
which Ia not calculated to give u
foreigner m exalted opinion of the
virtues Of the people who govern
themselves, or TO elevate and purify
our own character, Even this almost
universal greed for Office could be
borno with were we not continually
confronted with the humiliating
reelection that To the fact that Official
positions furnish opportunities Tor
peculaton bargain and sale, Is largely
due the eagerness Of the people to
climb TO official place and power
4" Had ! served my God with the same
earnestness M | have the king said
poor Woolsey, when kingly gratitude
had locked him up in prison, This touch
ing plant OF the ohurchman contains
lesson which has powerful applica'
ton TO modern American political am
btion, If aspirants for Office served
their own business interests with the
same assiduity which distinguishes
them In the race for office, u suror safer
and moro satisfactory result would fol
low
How many proud heads are bowed al
the recollection of the odium which
came upon high officials of the govern
ment because OF completely with The
stupenduous fraud. Of the Credit Mo,
bilier, and the disgracelul peculat,or
which was the order of the day, from
the president down to the obscure In
dian agent on the distant frontier
The opportunities, the margins loI
stealoge are carefully calculated, and
grade the effort made to secure posi-.
tions In this greed for Office and in
this public acknowledgment of the
mcrcenary considerations, lie the CHIEF
dangers of the future of our republic.
In our own state tho rage for Office il
beyond all odds the leading and most
earnest sentiment of large body of the
people, Every vacancy, from the high
est to the lowest, has its scores of aspi,
rants, The mechanic, the farmer, the
professional man, all and every one
enters the arena, aud the deadly strug,
gle is continued until fortune declares
in favor of ono of the number, whel
the others shrink back into obscurlty
no wiser or better for their eX'
perience, only TO await another re
currence of the election, to re,
peat the disgusting exhibition
These annual struggles for Office
lower the standard OF public virtue, anc
seriously interfere with the full devel
opment Of the country and retard it
progress Besides they entail loss ant
distress upon thousands of the people
The delicacy and tone of the manhood
of our state is destroyed, and oilicehold
ing at the behest Of majorities loses al
its value in the eyes Of the thoughtful
and the virtuous. Worth and ability
if connected with modest delcacy never
rises to the surface or is called into tn,
public service to the great detriment o
the best interests of the government
and people alike. We need silent
thorough and sweeping reform in thi,
direction, and its Inauguration cannot
be delayed much longer with safety.