The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-04-19


young lady who proposes to 90 upon the
stage with no training, and seeks a mana
ger when she should 60 10 an elocutioniSt.
1t is the same in other affairs The Young
mans thoughts of business ri OF an Office.
are not 50 much in relation To- his ability /"
perform il rs To- get into it. No doubt all
things would he better donr-1rnm cabinet
making up to -making-it people had 4
habit of getting ready To do things before
they began. II is worth while to stop and
think to whom it is that We cntrllSt the most
delicate duty performed in human society
the making of orr laws. OF course we
know that our laws are mad" by our lrgis-
laturc. And Who ar" the legislators? These
Lawmakers are not the proper result of our
political system, but of our political ma
chine. And here again th" Young man has
the precociouS wisdom Of his generation
If he determines: to 20 into politics. or to
enter the civil service of his country, he
does not prepare himself for the dutir, of
the one nor for the position coveted III the
other; he makes himself an adept in the
of the favor of those who can help him. If
he seeks a consulate 1T Naples. he Il pes not
study Italian: he carries = his ward. Here
again. tn" American is more eager to get
something than to be something; and yet it
should he >nid III respect to the civil service
that there is this excuse for the Young man.
there is no other way IL get into it than that
named. Our civil service l., what the Eli
gllsh was fifteen years ago, and il is about
the most undemocratic i'll the world. 1t is
closed to those who are not favored by the
accident of political influence. The English
service until recently. was .slmoSt eNclr-
sivcly filled by the ariStocracy; il was the
patronage OF the Parliament aud the minis
try. Now, through the door of competitive
examination, it is open to the humhlest lad
i'll the land if he have talent. and we may
be sure that the father of the middle class
will never surrender this privilege for his
sons. Nor will the American people. when
they understand the subject, consent flat
SO honorable and profitable Il career shall he
the object OF patronage and the paruuisitc
of successful political manipulation. They
will insist that it shall be open to the fair
ambition OF those willing to tit themselves
for it. 1t will become Il legitimate career,
like law or medicine; and one advantage OF
opening it to public competition-and it is
not unimportaut-iS the stimulus il will
give t" education.
Is ii Il relief to turn from minor politics to
Congress Perhaps we have never conSid-
cred why it is that the American Congress
stands 81 high i'll the opinion of this colln-
try and of the world. Til, is the reason:
When man contrmplatcS til" possibility
of 4 congressional career, he sets himself
seriously to prepare for that exalted station
He studies geography, especially that of his
native land, so that he may not ho liable to
vote for an appropriation for digging Il river
where a turnpike would he better: he studies
history, and American history thoroughly;
he masters American politics: he dcvotes
laboriouS days and nights to the acquisition
of knowledge of political economy, to a
study of the laws of finance and of trade rs
they are ilumined by our own experience
and that of other peoples: he makes him
self familiar with the course Of legislation
rs it affects the vital interests of the coun-
try, for he knows that he is to deal with i'm
pcrial concerns, and that his votes will have
a tar-r"aching influence in Il vast republic.
Perhaps he acquires the art of expressing
himself conciScly. clearly. and readily
When the people see Il man thus accom-
pli>hcl. they take him up by sort ui popu-
lar movement in the party and send him to
Congress When he is there, he keeps HIM
self in the background at first, studying the
situation, and learning the art of parliament
AIRY logislati"n,-a science in itself. And
the congressman 80 accomplished and 81
trained the people keep in Congress IL long
a. he continues honest and capable and rep
resents the principles OF his district.
Such are some of the present aspects OF
American life. The topic is fruitful of Stlg-
geStioll> which We have no space to follow,
and it is useless to moralizc. Long az" the
philosophers decided that it is important
what a man is, not what he hos. 1t was an
apo'ifSHi oi '"i'ii- ii'tt S'ul''N II S'ii'i-
atcd by wealth, and inSolencr by safety"
and again, that members OF a community
are most effectively deferred from injustice
If those who are injured feel as much in
dignation as those who are Or. to put
this in modern phrases we see the danger
of Il national habit that estimates success
by possession, and not by character and
nurses the del,Isiun of equality without
sympathy between classe'.
CONCLUDED.