Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-10-20
Official and Public Duty.

the 18th instant and the MONTPELIER DAILY jour
NAL of the It'll instant, in their comments upon the
organization Of the legislature, quote as a maxim
the saying popular among political reformers,")
1.-THE Office should seek the man and not the
man the Office" This, II it is intended to disap-
prove or rebuke the presumption that thrusts it.
self forward where even angels fear to tread, is
wholesome. II, on the other hand, it is taken. as
it generally is as rebuke or sneer upon one who
sees before him place to be filled, or gift to be
gained, and makes an effort to obtain this gift,
because OF his effort it is strongly to be con-
demned. As such it is directly opposed not only
to the wisdom Of the ages, but the very law Of
progress in human society. How does society
make progress and grow better? How does the
individual? Is it not by some one putting him
self In the relation OF teacher and leader or help
to the individual? Can, indeed, the individual
child, or church, or state, be left to itself till 1t
comes to the consciousness Of its own defects,
and chooses means and calls some one to remedy
them? The child or church thus left is the one
that brings his parents to shame No, the very
condition Of progress towards perfection in So
ciety is that the one to whom God has given
keener sight than to others, and who sees more
clearly defects and wants than the rest, and il
conscious or hopeful that he can do something to
help them offer himsef-put himself forward. II
you please, for this purpose.
The Great Apostle exhorts "covet earnestly
the best gifts" And our Lord commands, "Ask,
seek, knock, and 1t shall be opened unto you"
This does not allow any one to wait till the best
gift or place seek him and is thrust upon him
He must go out after it, Judge veazey in his
cha ~ nd ;ur ~ ;pdb
insisted upon it that knowledge that law had been
broken and crimes committed laid upon them the
obligation to inquire concerning it. They must
not In this case wait for some one to call them
and move them. Nor any more must the man
and citizen to whom God has given gifts and OPP
portunities hide them in napkin till his fellow
citizens or Lord call him to use them. The pos
session Of talents, Godgiven are the best warrant
for their use at once for the welfare Of society
Each one Is responsible for doing all he can to
help his neighbor and brother, or the state to be
the best and do the best. And why should one
who is qualified for Office hesitate, much more
shrink, from the desire and honorable pursuit OF
1t as from a thing dshonorable and degrading?
What is office that 1t should forbid the hottest
thus to desire and seek 1t? What Is the mean
ing OF the word? The word is from the Latin
otcium-what every one ought to do. 1t is sig
nitcant OF duty charge, trust conferred by public
authority and for public purpose Offices are
civil, Judicial, ministerial and executive duties.
This is the sense in which Cicero uses the word.
He wrote the noble treatise, De 0Biciis not to
teach the ambitious and unprncipled how to as
pire and obtain place and position for power and
plumber, but the citizen how to do his duty to his
10 Ia al Ga
very word is instinct with duty and trust Of a ga
cred nature, and such that the best may and
ought to aspire after the thing 1t represents And
this Is the way the thing is held by men OF clear
est insight, pure and good. Hence, Thomas Ar
mold, who was as far from presumption as the
north pole from the south. did not hesitate to
offer himself" a. Stanley says, as a candidate
for the high trust of Rugby. Had he yielded to
the uniformed doctrine Of the popular polit-
ical reformers, the world would have failed OF its
nj nd haan aft xyithanf m ~ "a