The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-03-03

n
THE OPINION OF wALLACE'S ste
CESSOR.
From Mr.. Mitchell's letter declining
o he q Candidate for denomination to
Congress last year we take the follow
ing extract:
81 have learned that the public
seruice is science which, to he ac-
quired, must be long and luboriously
studied, and an art which, to be
acquired, must be long practiced.
Hence, am sensible of many short
conings. What skill fray have ac-
quired IN this behalf is of small
account to me in private life, but 1t
cannot transfer il to my successor. To
avoid this waste in future, so far a.
possible, l can only urge the selection
Of u successor worthy of long continu-
nnce In the public service, with the
hope that he may he retained long
enough to make him more useful than
any man can be without such expert
ence. Neither local ambition nor
personal preference should be per-
niitted to interfere with the tenure o.
such man so loug as he remains
faithful and efficient i'm Office. TO
make him such lie should possess in
tellectual force, great capacity and
love for work. and physical health and
strength to endure it, good habits,
strict integrity, manly independence
of opinion and courage of action, in
innate knowledge Of the common
people and their wants, and haariy
devotion to their service. Such man
with Il reasonable prospect Of continu-
ance i'm office, would be serviceable
from the first, and after some years
experience would honor his district
and udCrn the Nations history. If.
in addition, he possessed sufficient
estate to be free of all anxiety for
current expenses and a competency in
old age he would be better able to de-
vote all his energies to his public
duties. The salary now paid is sutii-
I
certainty of tenure without the neccs-
sity of paying heavy election expenses.
But these, with those necessarily
incident 10 tie Office and family ex
pensrs, leave very little of the salary
as IL compensation for time and labor.
aud practically nothing for support in
after life. If truly devoted to his
work, u member of Congress can find
no time for private busines.
His vacation must be given to
study. lie il never without
work for a rainy day or a
dark night. The vast field of political
science lies ever open before him, and
to succeed well he must never tire of
exploring it. Such, ut least, IS MY
view, and have acted upon it, be-
ginning at Harrisburg nine years ago.
1t is not II paying business, except in
the knowledge acquired. It is how
ever, the most Inspiring of all iTofes-
sions, II it We're free from eiectoncer-
ing scranlb.es an / factious sqlahbles
within ones own party. 1t as not
agreeable to decide between frieuds,
knowing that one, with all his follow
erS,will berate you or to be blamed for
doing what somebody else does and
tor not doing what you cannot do.
think an alternate member of Con
grcss, whose duty it should be to at
tend to all such work and to take all
blame for il, would he Il most deSira-
be Improvement in organic politics.
He could see to garden-seedS, pensions
and public documents at the same
time He would soon have enemies
enough, if you add applications for
appointments, to keep him in Office
for life out of pure spite"
Answer This,