The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-08-30
OFFICE SEEKERS TO THE FRONT.

To an ordinary sinner, the idea of dying
terrible as to a Cecil county Ring Demo
crat the idea of leaving earth without
having tasted the sweets o. Office. There
is, indeed a singular fascination with
most people in the mere idea OF Office
holding. Men competent us mechanics
and in the trades seem ever ready to sur
render the modest but certain returns of
avocations, to which they arc habituatcd
by education and service. for the more
tempting, yet still uncertain rewards
of politics. 1t matters little that but
small portion of them ever realize what
they anticipate. The rank of the army
of local Office seekers is ever crowded.
It's accessions far uutnumber its dope
tions 1t may he then. and doubtless is.
unreasonable to expect any prominent
local Office hunter to favor \ reduction in
the number of Office holding tax eaters
There are, said 4 prominent Democratic
Office holder, at least fifty men in our
party III each district in Cecil county who
hope to become tax collectors sometime
before they die. OF these fifty Office
hunters, one third of whom at least are
not taxpayers, possibly dozen are
becoming pressing and importunate be-
cause growing old, their life shadows now
point eastward. They are life long
Democrats and up to date are without
office. At the head of this small army
Of minor Office seekers at this moment
aggregating in the county five hundred.
are other men seeking higher places. One
wants to 90 to Congress. Of course he
possible rctainers and cIuGuers. The
numerous snug retreats along the Court
House row and tho warm roolery in the
Hole-in-the-Wal inspire the ambitions
of scores Of others Of more or less prom
inencc. Throughout the county the
leaders Of the district battalions make
feint Of battle for Clcrkship or Register
of Wills, expecting to pick up at the end
Of the fray a stray collectorship or what
ever may come to hand.
Thus from the center to the circumfer-
ence Of the oflice-secking circle common
purpose animates all alike. The big poll
ticians cajole the little ones by the pro-
misc of the lesser places, and the little
fish swim at the tails of the big suckers
for the privilege of place i'll the Bour-
bon pool But back of and behind this
noble army of six hundred place-hunters.
great and small, the aggregate contribu-
lions of which to the county revenue is
but an insignificant sum, stand the tax
paying people of the county. In all this
turmoil and toll for place, what voice have
they? Supposed by every theory of rep
resentative government to be the deposi-
tory of power, the source from which ema-
mates the life of society, yet really rs
voicelcss and choicelcss in the present
organization Of party in the State as were
the cotton-pckers of Georgia in the
palmiest days Of slavery. 1t is 4 fact
unUcnltDlc anu lllcbnIToFeGIlDlc Il1IU Une
people Of Cecil county have no more to
do with the selection Of their public scrv-
ants than were there no tax paying class
in the county. They are bound hand
and foot by the mcrciless manacles of the
leaders of the dominant party. They go
through the formalty of primaries III the |
several districts of the counties, but on
convention day bring their delegation |
wool as fat fleece for the shrewd manipu- /
lators and managers who know so well /
the art of stripping the rural lambs.
Thus from the county center down to .
the limits of every district in the county
stands an interested body of men ready
voiced, to oppose every measure, how
every conducive Of the public interest,
which promises a reduction Of public