Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-07-19
4ancaster fnteIltqe1trer.
MONDAY EVENING. JULY ls, 1880.
Public and Private Virtue.


Blacks endorsement of Gartield's per-
sonal character takes all the sting
out of his denunciation of him
as one who has always been
ready in politics to do the worst
possible things. 1t holds that a man
cannot he thus good in halves, and that
if he governs his private life by just and
honest rules his political conduct must
also conform to them. The argument is
strong, but it is a edged one that will
not help the North american s candidate.
For it may only show that Judge Blacks
personal prejudices in favor of Garfield
have blinded him in his judgment of his
private character, instead of his political
prejudices perverting his view of his
political record. We agree that the
Judge is wrong in one view or the other.
We do not believe that good man can
Ike an evil man in politics though there
isa prevalent idea of that kind abroad in
the country which is apparently justified
by the record which so many of our
statesmen make. They do seem to apply
a different rule to the guidance of their
personal and public conduct. There are
a great many men who do not think of
stealing from anybody but the
government and who have never
been guilty of concoctiug and
perpetrating frauds except i'll a
political way against the whole people.
Everybody knows many such men and
we could fill our columns with their
names. Perhaps they are the majority
of our public servants. But they are not
good men and would not lie so esteemed
even in their private life if they had
there the same temptations to do evil
that they have in public life, and if they
were there equally free and as unre-
strained III their power to do what their
evil nature prompts them to do for their
aggrandizcment.
Usage seems to have established Il
different test of public and private
honesty, and those who have no other
guide for their conduct than the regard
in which it may be held by their fellows
incline to think and act rs though they
were at liberty to take all the benefit they
can squeeze out of the possession OF
political power and receive the applause
of the public for their smartness and its
contlonation of their dubious morality
The smart thief goes to Jail, while the
a ,,,l;t ;.i., HyIn hnS 0StnnSlhI(
means of getting rich and yet is found
to I've so after few years public service
is in great danger of being promoted to
higher political position.
That does not make him Al honest
man. 1t only shows Il dullness in the
public appreciation of honesty. But this
is Il dulness which it does not do to rely
upon. The Sherman and Blaine class OF
politicians generally come to grief finally
in their aspirations. They find the pub
lie not SO stupid us it seems. Sherman
perhaps does not know what paralyzed
him ut Chicago; perhaps Blaine doe:
not. We may assume for the credit OF
the Republican party that it was thei1
dubious repute for honesty. Garfield
would have fallen under the same knife
but that his record was overlooked. No
body ventures to suppose that the Repub
lican party knowingly put up man st
snirched. 1t was only very bad luck ant
memory that gave him to them.
And they can neither get rid of hin
Il, In nf% 4 r.
wash himself. Silence is his reply to the
charges against him. The proof of then
is abundant. 1t is found in the charac
ter of the man himself as developed in
everything he does under the public
eye. 1t is furnished in his very letter Of
acceptance of the nomination given him
in which he treats the political issue:
in cOwardly and insincere WAY
that disgustS both his friend:
and foes. lie deals with them in a sneak
ing way, just as he dealt with Oake:
Ames. and afterwards with the charge:
which that connection brought upon him
His stories were contradictory and hi:
memory bad. The gist of his defence i:
that he could not he bought with 1929
and he appeals to all who can not believe
him to lie such cheap thief to acquit
him. Such Il man could he bought with q
dollar if that was all that was to he had
and if he was sure nobody would evel
find him out. 1t was only the feal
of being found out if he took more
than he admits that he got from Oakes
Ames, that prompted him to postpone
his call upon the Credit Mobilier for his
profits, until he could do so safely. There
they lay awaiting his demand; and be
fore he found courage to collect then
the exposure came.
Mr.. Garfield possibly is rs honest Il:
most men, who might have yielded un
der temptations as he did. But that vii
not save him in his present position
When he asks the first office in the Ia
tion he must make his claim good to il
by showing exceptional virtue. He does
not have it to show. Judge Black:
kindly eyes see it in his private life; bu
it is not there, even though it may bt
very amiabl. in all its relations. lie La!
been tried and found wanting. lie i:
the same man i'm every relation. He i:
weak, cOwartlly and dishonest ; restrain
ed not 10y his convictions of right
but by fear of public condemnation
which yet he has earned and received.