Smyrna times., 1881-07-13

NOT DEGENERATING.-Ihe attempted
ossassination of President Garfield four
months after his Inauguration following
within few months of the heated and
vituperative Presidential campaign awak-
ems anew the distrust in the self protec-
ton of Republican institutions. The
defamations, the personal and partisan
animosities. the corruptions and criminal
interference with the proper exercise OF
the ballot, are indeed distressing incidents
of our political life, but we must look
upon them only as excrescenses that are
likely to appear on the body polite IN any
time and age The blow on the head OF
our Nation in the assault ON President
Garfield, by the spontaneous voice from
every section and party in the land III be-
wailing the dreadful deed shows that
pure and unadulterated patriotism reigns
throughout the land. VOr populi, cOT Del
has as much significance now as any time
since the adoption of our Republican
Constitution a hundred years ago.
The complaint against the "degeneracy
of politics" has existed in every decade
since our national birth. 1t has become
chronic
There is tradition among nearly all
historic peoples of remote period when
everything was better than it now is.
The Greek and Roman poets sang of q
golden age, when men were just and mer-
ciful and peace-loving, and relics of SINH
lar fables are found in every literature.
But the hard-headed historical critic is
unable to find any substratum Of fact for
these fancies. On the contrary, the fur
ther back he traces nations history the
more barbarous and cruel he finds the
people, until in most cases the trail is lost
in boundless region of savagery. The
dream of golden age in politics is also
nothing more than fable. There are
temporary ups and downs, but there has
been substantial progress towards the
good in the political history of every ma
tiOn, to which rule our own country is no
exception. We are accustomed to look
back on Washington's two administra-
tiOns as the golden age of American poll
ties, but this is only because of the dense
popular ignorance of all but few main
features in those administrations. The
personal and party feuds in the Cabinet
AAebtCO AAOlh WI w anu hCAO
exceedingly bitter. Charges of corrupt
bargains and dishonesty in Office were as
freely banded about then as now, when
the comparative opportunities for such
things then and now are taken into con-
sideration. 1t is impossible to tell how
much of this was mere partisan scandal,
and how much was founded on some mea-
sure of truth-probably then as now the
proportion of truth to falsehoOd was as
one grain of wheat in bushel of chaff.
But the public and private morality OF
the day was so lax that when Alexander
Hamilton was accused of speculating in
public securities while Secretary of the
Treasury, the charge found wide credence
and Hamilton was able to Vindicate his
honesty as an official only by publishing q
pamphlet in which he admitted low in
trigue with a Mrs. Reynolds. Copies OF
this pamphlet are now esteemed a great
prize by bibliophiles, and at a recent sale
one of them sold for 800 And it will
scarcely be pretended that any man now
in public life is so utterly selfish and un.
scrupulOus as Aaron Burr, HamiltOn's
rival and murderer.
There is therefore no reason why good
citizens should despair of the republic
when they compare their own with theil
fathers days. That reform is necessary
is true; it always has been necessary; il
always will be necessary until the Millen
MUM, and there are no signs that thai
period is close at hand. But the way tC
secure a reform is not by landing past a
which we look through romantic hazt
which hides all defects and magnifei
every virtue. The way to better wha
needs bettering is to face facts as they are
wasting no signs over what has been, anC
seeing to it that what may be shall be.