The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-11-01
CLERK MELDRUm's AMsITioN.

the infamous lottery schemes then
disgrace to the territory =?
CLERK MELDRUM's AMBITION
The end OF the campaign being 8
close at hand, it may be assumed tina
Mr.. Meldrum's friends have advances
in his favor all the arguments within
their power to convince the voters o
Wyoming that he, rather than Mr.
Post, should represent then as delegate
at Washington.
An examination of what has beer
published in the Sun and Boomerang
concerning the two candidates, reveals
very little attempt at reasoning will
the public, but there were printed by
those papers many articles intended to
be ironical or humorous. and some I'M
Intentionally grotesque. In the latter
class is al account of Mr.. Meldrum's
career as an official, printed in the
Boomerang a week ago. Stripped OF
surplus wordiness and its dabs at NJ.
E. Post, the article in question is made
up up mainly Of the statement that an
unnamed official at Washington had
pronounced Mr.. Medium to be ''the
best clerk of the court In the United
States" The absence of the name and
title of this official is a somewhat i'm
portant omission, if the writer of the
article would convince people of the
value Of the recommendation. The use
of the word "best" implies a reckless
ness in praise hardly to be expected
from a sensible man when speaking of
a large body Of clerks, of whose work it
is hardly probable that anyone has any
means of making a comparison.
But let it be supposed that Mr.. Mel
drum is a clerk of marked efficiency
and ability, so far as those qualities
may be vested in a clerical position.
The fact might carry some weight as a
recommendation if he were seeking q
$1,000 clerkship in a government bureau
at Washington. But how far does it
go toward proving that he is a repre-
sentative man of Wyoming
That they might not be altogether
barren Of reasons for supporting Mr..
Medium in his aspiratiosis, his friends
Of the press have put forward the plea
that he was a soldier. Taking their
story for truth, we may believe that he
was for a time in the army as an en-
listed man. Let us be generous and
concede that, although the date of his
enlistment was suspiciously near the
time of the draft, Mr.. Meldrum went
into the army through proper motives,
and not for a bounty. Did he thereby
stand a lifetime as a reason for giving
him otfice2 A brave soldier of the
ranks. who has long lived the life of a
worthy citizen, may have his career in
the army mentioned as an additional
reason why he should be honored by
his fellow-citizens when he seeks office;
but a man whose record in the army is
a matter of doubt, or which exists only
on the word of the candidate himself,
can hardly be allowed to hold it up as a
paimary reason for his promotion to a
civil position among the highest.
Mr.. Meldrum has been long enough
in Wyoming to show any great quail
ties of which he may be possessed. AS
a candidate for the delegateship, his
life and character should be in some
way distinguished from that of other
men. He should havethe training, the
practical sense, and the habit of assum-
ing responsibilities of a successful bust
ness man; or he should have been a
pioneer in some industry beneficial to
the country; or he should have exhibited
high attachments in his profession; OIL
he should have made some of the risks
or displayed some of the energy which
betoken a philosophical man; or he
should have so pure a record as a citi
zen-or ven as a public sflce-holder-
that his party might proudly claim hin
as one Of its honorable, if not mos
able, leaders.
Mr.. Medium has been a law clerk.
What else in Wyoming An Office
holder. tits said he is a lawyer. Is h
known AS such at the bar Has h
ver in any ANN done anything t
promote any industry in the territory
Has he been Instrumental in attracting
immigration thitherp Has he don
thing to indicate more than ordinar,
public spirit or the possession of MOI
than average force of character or capa
bility ? He was in the legislativ
council of 1879. His friends have bee
chary Of mentioning that period of hi
public services. Many of his party ar
ashamed of the figure he cut in tha
legislature.
Why, then, is Medium the nomine
Of a party which claims among il
members in Wyoming men of fin
ability and unspotted character 1t
because, under conditions in that part
which favored the tricky manipulation
ofa wire-puller, a man whose stronge
qualities carry him to that level, wi
. by q years. labor allowed to elbow hir
self ahead Of better men and thus ca
turo the nomination.
Lost.
n