The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1880-04-13
Military Men for Civil Offices.

o"e.s " ciSNutv iulittuTT HehtO 0mceS
OF II civil character and overlook The
moro essential qualifications ofstates.
manship. This eyil-ior it is an evil
lis a growing one. Ii is one that
has been the cause Of raising men to
the highest office, who were totally
unfit for the positions. Let two men
announce themselves for an office, in
which fighting propensities, il may be,
are TO DO punished rather than ell.
couraged. Let one of them possess
all the requisite qualifications neces.
snry to make good officer, aud let
the other be lacking in there, but have
military record aud sec which will
DO successful. Nine times out often
the people being appealed 10, TO re-
ward heroism, will choose the latter
in preference TO the former. History
is full of such instances, many OF
which proved to be grave mistakes.
There may be men who can act with
equal facility in any sphere of life,
but as rule military leader is apt
to lie entirely too arbitrary and die
tatorial for civil leader. There arc
many notable instances, but one will
suffice for the present. Grant was a
successful military leader, and upon
his accession to the Presidency he
proved himself eminently unfit for
the Office. lie still retained his ideas
OF military discipline and conse-
quenily kept his heel upon the neck
OF the crushed and bleeding South,
thereby keeping aglow the fires of
sectionalism and animosity, that
should have rested IN the graves Of
her mariyred dead, when the final re-
suit of the terrific struggle for the
Lost Cause" passed into history.
Grant proved himsclfto be q military
despOt and but for the false idea OF
leroism which is the all prevailing
one with Americans, he would have
given place al the expiration OF his
term to a man who might have pur-
sued different course. But no, the
hue and cry raised on account of his
military record was sufficient 10 nom.
mate him oyer others better qualified,
and he was reelected, and the coun-
try thrown into the greatest financial
panic OF modern times. This is an
instance of q military man being
given the highest position in the gift
of tho people. We find The same
ideas prevailing in regard to all other
Offices. Look at our State officers to-
day. Almost TO unit they are mill
tary mon. IN fact man who is not
blessed with a military title need moi
hope tor political prelerment.
1t matters not how Indifferent a
mans political record may have been,
let him become a candidate for Office
md it is flaunted in the face OF the
people and the poor deluded voters
him 10 be a hero and he is
elected while his opponent who pos
'ibly remained at homo and worked
md studied TO qualify himself iorthe
iuties of life is beaten and remandcd
10 the shades of obscurity. The sue
;essful man may have been Lieutcn.
INT, corporal or private in the
ear ranks, or homo guard for
wenty-four hours, II matters not The
principle is the same and he receives
lis reward. This is VII wrong, 1t
'hould DO deprecated in all office
eekers. When o man asks for all
,flice don't ask if he was a soldier,
tut ask he is qualified. Then W.
will have better officers and great
tcp will be taken toward affecting q
reconciliation between the late OPP
losing factions. This brings us to
he point we started out to DISCUSS.
Vo must in IA few weeks choose nat
onal leaders. The same spirit of
Which we have been speaking is the
REVEALING ono, especially with the
republican party. Gen. Grant q
Military man., who has been shown
y eight years OF experience to be ut
erly destitute Of the qualifications of
5: civil leader will in all likelihood |
o chosen as the standard bearer of
he Republican party. There are
hose in the Democratic party who,
rcrlooking craftsmanship In such
nen as Samuel j. Tilden, claim that
re should nominate a military man
. lead us in the coming struggle.
here are two reasons why we should
OF do this. The South is not yet
eady to turn and lick the hand that
rushed her, she must be educated BY
egrees to this point. Military lead
RS have been in power ever since the
var and consequently the South is
just where she was fifteen
ears ago so far as reconciliation is
oncerned. Therefore II the party
hould nominate union officer he
you'd lose votes in the South, and
We cannot afford TO lose votes. On
he other hand If we nominate Con.
cderate hero tho North can not be
hduced to support a "rebel" no mat.
err how good q Democrat he may be
nd the result will he a defeat. II is
sclcss for men to declare that such
ceiling does lot exist. 1t does; and
q military man be nominated BY
he Democratic party, the war will be
allied ND from tho dead past and
ought over again in the campaign.