The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1878-05-04
TnE OFFICE SEEKING MANIA.

To an intelligent Eurspean, the
universal mania for office in the
United States excites surprise, and
to one acquainted with the onerons
duties fearful responsibilities and
miserable pay usually attached to
official position, the wonder is extreme
No other land under the bright sun
affords 80 many and sure paths to ease.
wealth and business importance as does
our. Average intelligence. reasonable
ct'or, and time always insure success in
the ordinary walks Of business life. II
would seem that opportunities such rs
these ought to engage the activity,
talent aud energy % the people. Yet
IT "a not so and We make the
confession sadly The hordes OF men.
Of all parties. who descend into the
arena Of politics and struggle and
sluabhle like a pack OF hyenas over
! their disgusting feast, is circumstance
which il not calculated to give a
foreigner an 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
/ borne with were we not continually
confronted with the humiliatine
reflection that % the fact that official
positions furnish opportunities for
/ pecuIatIon, bargain and sale, is largely
due the eaFeruess Of the people I,
climb to official place and power
/ Had ! served my God with the same
eIuestness as ] have the king. said
/ poor Woolsey when kingly graiitud,
hadlocked him up in prison. This touch
ing plant OF the churchman contains
a lesson which has a powerful applica,
tion 20 modern American political am
bitIou. 10 aspirants for Office served
their own business interests with tn,
same ns.iduty which distinguishe
them in the race ton Office, a surer, safe
and more satisfactory result would fol
low.
How many proud heads are bowed a
the recollection Of the odium which
came upon high officials of the govern
mcnt because OF completely with tn,
stupenduous fraud. of the Credit Mo
biiier, and the disgr,yeful pecu!atiot
which was the order of the day, from
the president down 10 the obscure In
diau agent on the distant frontier
/ The opportunities, the margins 70
stealaev are carefully calculated, an,
grade the effort made to secure posi-
tons la this greed for office, and il
this public acknowledgment OF tn
merceuary considerations, lie the chic
dangers Of the future OF our republic.
Ia our own state the rage for office
beyond all odds the leading and mos
earnest sentiment Of a large body of tn
people Every vacancy. from the high
ct 30 the lowest, has it, scores OF aspi
rants The mechanic. the farmer, IN
professional man, all and every on,
enters the arena, aud the deadly strug
gle Is continued until fortune declare
iu favor OF one Of the number. whe
the others shrink back into obscurit,
no wiser or better for their ex
perience, only to await another r,
currenCe OF the election, to re
peat the disgusting exhibition
These annual struggles for offic
lower the staudard OF public virtue an
seriously interfere with the full deve
opment Of the country and retard il
progress. Besides they entail loss an
distress upon thousands of the peop,s
The delicscy and tone of the manhoo
Of our state is destroyed, and officeholl
ing at the behest of msiorities loses a
its value IN the eyes OF the Thoughtful
and the virtuous. Worth and ability
If connected with modest delicacy ,ueve
rises to the surface or is called into tn
public service to the great detriment {
the best interests of the government
and people alike. We need silen
| thorough and sweeping reform in thi
= direction, and its inauguration canno
: be delayed much longer with safety.