National Republican., 1881-07-27
Honest Administration.


for quarter of century divided the
two great political parties has really
ended by reason of the acquiescence of
Democrats with the policy of the Repub-
lican party; if the wicked usurpations
of the latter have indeed become the
chief articles in the Democratic creed if
Wade Hampton has abandoned his dec
laration of two years ago to the negroes
of the South, that if they want to
vote they will have to vote the Demo-
cratic ticket; if the Republicans are alto
gether lovely by reason of their princi-
pies, and only hateful for having been
the first to put them forward if the
Democrats have, as they now profess,
always been wrong in differing with their
opponents, and if Americans no longer
differ on any question except as to what
set of individuals shall administer the
government, then it is well to think of
methods of administration.
In politics. as in religion, the upper
most question is, What shall / do to be
saved? And in the former, as in the lat
ter the true answer is, by self-abnegation.
But as the young rich man, who was told
to sell all that he had and bestow il on
the poor, went away sorrowful, because
he had great possessions" so the young
aspirant for Office, who is told to chasten
his ambition and think rather of the gen.
eral good than of his own, is also sorrow
ful, because he has great expectations.
Yet the rich man would have gained his
point if he had needed the Masters in
junction, for he would thereby have ex-
orciscd his devil of selfshness and
changed his nature for ihe better-and
that il is to be saved. We will not pursue
the analogy. One would be laughed at
in these days who should tell q seeker
for Office that he would find more pleas
ure in the patriotic exercise of the duties
of citizen than in the eager chase for
Office, which generally eudes him, and
which, when successful, is found to be
little worth the winning.
To make honest administration of the
Government the chief aim of party is to
presuppose its members to be composed
of something finer than clay. No thought
of self would be admissible. In party so
formed no man in it would care fig for
any office, from President down to
whisky gauger. The absence of this de-
sire would greatly aid the appointing
power, from the people at large in their
choice of Presidents and Congressman
to the President and heads of Depart
ments in designating officers under them.
There would be no time expended ir
driving Jack the claimants. There would
be no ISLANDERS of men prior to national
conventions, and combinations Of Office
seekers to tear down the strongest would
be unknown. There would be no false
pledges given to secure success, for no.
man would care whether he was elected
or not. After election the ques-
ton of the succession would
never be thought of for man
who had cared nothing for first election
would surely never conspire for second
one. The objects of government would be
found, upon reflection, to be very circum-
scribed. To preserve order while busi-
ness went on to protect the rights of
persons and property by enforcing known
penalties upon any who violated them;
to be ready for defense against enemies
to apportion the burdens of government
equally among all to educate the young,
and to select honest and capable agents
for all this-that is all. No thought of
delegates to the next convention would
enter into the selection of men for Office.
No good officer would be disturbed in or
der to substitute better politician. In
short, civil-service order No. / would
work both ways. The country would
not be worked up to the verge of civil
war because vagrant had been refused
a foreign mission, nor would the pesti-
lent liars of faction seek to cripple their
by charging upon them
the crime of tramp. There would be
less cant, Men who had for q decade
pursued n single blameless citizen as
though he had been an outlaw escaped
from prison, and who rewarded his illus
trious services in defense of the country
by charging upon him treasonable de-
signs which they knew were as far from
his thoughts as truth was from theirs
men who had dealt with no argument but
slander and sought to stir no sentiment
but hate-would not be listened to when
they whined about the maddening effect
of criticizing anything or differing with
In short, if the thirst fer Office
could be abated the honest administra-
ton of the Government would be among
the possibilities of the future. The good
of the country would be thought of on
other days than on the Fourth of July.
When such millennium arrives the only
difficulty will be in securing good men
for office, for the emoluments are seldom
equal to those received in private en-
ployment for services of equal value. We
have stated what appear to us to be some
prerequisites to an honest
of affairs in order to show
the length of the road over which we
have yet to trayel to reach the goal
pEpcNNAI ITIEC