Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1880-07-24
TO publish proceedings of tie meeting
On motion meeting adjourned.
j. E. WILSON, Chm'n.
T. W. CoYLR, Sec,y.
J, W. CoYLE, Sec

rs IT MONEY, OR CHARACTER
AND BRAINS SHALL TIE
TEST BE MERIT AND FITNESS
FOR THE OFFICE, OR PAR
TIZANSH1P? "UNDER WHICH
KING BEZONIAN 2"
We surrender space to the following
admirable article from the Gazette Of
Moundsville, under the above caption:
Has the Democratic party become so emascu-
lated OF its brains and that its for
tunes depend on the nomination OF any one man!
Is 1t reduced to the extremity OF submitting to
the dictatorship of few wealthy office seekers,
who have no other merit to recommend them TO
its favor than their money. bonds and stock, and
their ability 10 experd large sums to secure their
election to offices for VIII ich they are utterly dis
qualfl and unfit? Are the traditions OF the
past longer Its inspiration and has 1t conclud-
ed to ignore as INGREDIENT, II not positively
prejudicial to its success the ffersonian test:
Is HE HONEST, IS HE CAPABLE, IS HE FAITHFUL
TO THE CONSTITUTION. Has it allied itself as
political org ,nizaton to powerful raiiroid cor
poratiops national banks, riffs, and other mo-
nopOes, that II must needs select Tor the high-
est Offices both Federal and State, men Identified
with all such dangerous Interest,"? Or does 1t
hold that OFFICES WHICH BELONGS TO THE PEG
PIE and are to be bestowed by them upon those
only who are hoI est, capable and faithful, are
mere perQuisites, or rewards for pirtizin service
to be distributed and parceled out by political
caucuses, and party faction!
These are important questions, and 1t Is time
the people should give them some attention, ana
teach party leaders that offices are not merchan-
diz. to be bartertd and sold to the highest bid
der for MONEY, or TO be disposed of to promote
simply PARTY ends.
No man has onv CLAIM to an Office as a matter
OF RIGHT, or on account OF any services rendered
to any political party, nor does the amount OF
money he Is willing 10 expend to secure the Of
fl C, or promote the success OF his party copsu-
tute a ground of political prefermenl. AS
general rule those who resort to the free use OF
money in politics, secure Office, do so for two
reasons: first, because they expect in return Tor
their LIBERALITY ca to be taken up by their
party and elected to office; and sc 'ond, because
they are conscious OF the lack OF any real merit
in themselves, and of their inability to secure
political preferment on the score OF fitness
alone They are filed with An ambition, to be
what by nature, training and intellectual culture
they never can be, with all the riches OF Croe-
sus at their command. Seh3hness and not zell
for the public good stimulates such persons 10
bleed freely in the hope OF Office.
These reflections have been suggt sted by what
appears daily and weekly in Democratic journals
and is repeated In conversation by men claiming
10 be ,iacere democrats and true patriots. we
read and hear it said AID NAUsEUM, that Mr.. A.
or Mr.. 9. is entitled to the nomination for this
or that office because of the SERVICES he has rem
dered the PARTY. IL Is not said, that his nomi-
nation is an eminenty proper one to be maze,
because he is man OF Intellectual, culture ana
talent and therefore qualif for the office, or
because his abilities and standing as citizen are
such that his election would &c an honor to the
State. But his nomination is demanded on the
ground OF PARTIZAN SERVICE, whith in mo Tern
politics means free use of money, Willingness
to "b'e ed freely" for plrty purposes, coupled
with capacity successfully TO pull the wires,an
employ oil the corrupt and corrupting means
and agencies known 70 modern party warfare.
When political party consents to make the ca
pacity to do these things the test of availability
and fitness for Office and insensibld to It's hlgh
mission degrades itself to eXilt talents oil that
order, it may for while succeed In maintaining
ascendancy as political organic ltion, or FAC
TIoN rather, but ultimately demoralizi tion and
defeat will overtake it, and it will perish in con-
sequence of its corruption. MONEY cannot sup
ply the place of brains; PARTIZAN SERVICE can
not by substituted for character and other es-
sental qualification; nor can the people be 10
duced to believe party Is sincere in Its profess,
ed opposi' On to monopolies, banks, rings, and
the aggressive power and Influence OF rsllroad
corporations when it seeks for its candidates
those who allied in sympathy and in FACT with
such Interests. The people will naturally, and
very Justly, place but little confidence in PRO-
FEssioNs which are belied by ACTS aud CONDUCT.
What is moot needed to reform existing ahu'es
in the management of pc itical parties, and TO
secure purity 10 official life ard in the adminis-
tration of public offices is the assert OF that
SPIRIT Of MANLY INDEPENDENCE AND INDIvIDU-
ALLY on the part of the VOTER that shall say 10
political caucuses and conventions WE WILL NOT
SUPPORT ANY INDIVIDUAL you MAY CHOOSE TO
NOMINATE SIMPLY BECAUSE HE is THE NOMINEE
unless his principles are sound and his charac-
ter, fitness and qualifications, morally and in
tellectually, are pure ard upexceplionable.
And further, that MONEY shall no longer be the
test either of fitness or availability. LIT 1t not
be said in West Virginia that the Cameronlan
system in politics shall prevaii-that few veal
thy aspirants and their paii-ites, backed ny the
influence of railroad corporations, National
Banks and Oil Mopopolies. shall establish PLU-
ToCRACY in this Safe and usurp by corrupt, We
nal and disreputable methods offices and posi-
lions to fill which they are utterly incompetent
and shamefully unfit. For with such men
PRINCIPLES are nothing, and the public interests
except in so far a seeming desire TO promote
them shall subserve to their own private, selfish
ambitious are never ohjects OF consideration.
The time has come TO meet this phaZe IN our
politics, and the democratic party will be ialth-
ieas to its mission and to the public, II it fails TO
give back seat to the agents ard tools OF corpo-
rate monopoly, and their claquers. Let Inc
democratic party then INACCURATE REFORM In
the direction indicated IN the approaching DIS
trict and State conventions If 1t would deserve