The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-11-04
The Burdens of Responsibility.

The Burdens of Responsibility.
While it is on the whole greatly to the
advantage Of an individual, association or
institution to be known as respectable,
there are some drawbacks arising from such
reputation. The good things done by the
respectable man or body of men are taken
as matter of course, and no credit is given
for them, while the failure to do the best
thing in any instance is made subject of
severe criticism. If those who lack the rep
utation of responsibility do i'll, small atten-
ton is paid to it because nothing better was
expected, while their occasional good deeds
are greatly applauded, and they really get
more credit in the public mind, than they
would if right action we're habitual with
them. A drunken, dissolute or lazy man,
who shows any traces Of intelligence or kind
ness is credited with wonderful mental
brilliancy or goodness of heart. The rob-
Der who gives some of his plumber to the
poor has always been more attractive sub
ject for song and tale, than the plain citizen
who robs nobody and consequently cannot
scatter aims with lavish hand. The man
who has once surrendered the reputation of
respectability has little blame for wrong
doing and great praise for well doing, while
he who maintains the reputation of respec-
liability has great blame for any misdeeds
and little praise for good conduct. OF
course the compensations and benefits of
responsibility are large and satisfying in
many ways, and the balance in its favor is
vast, but we are now looking at some of its
responsibilities and burdens.
The Republican party is just at present
feeling some of the burdens Of a good repu-
tation. For twenty-eight years it has stood
as the embodiment of the virtue, enterprise,
high aspiration and noble action of the ma
ton 1t embodies to-day the best thought
and feeling of the American people. All
reforms, all progress of any kind in public
affairs have been made by its agency, and
the hopes of good men for the future lie in
the continued ascendancy of this great Or
ganization. The talk of new party is idle,
for unless it comprised the same men who
are now in the Republican party it could do
no good. The general average of virtue is
set over against the gene al average of vice
about as fairly under the present party Or
ganization as it ever can be, and any change
of parties would be only change of names.
Everything good is naturally expected and
demanded of the Republican party; little of
good is expected from the Democrats. So
it happens that where individu al Republi-
cans err they are denounced without stint,
when the party fails to act as promptly and
thoroughly in the direction of temperance,
education OF reforms of the civil service as
the most sanguine friends of these good
things desire, the party is visited with I'M
acter apparently goes for no tn ing and many
people in their wrath are prone to give
aid and comfort to the Democracy
which is always lavish in profess
tations of virtue,-ignoring the fact
that the Democratic party is more culpable
in the very direction complained of than the
Republican party can possibly be.
Thus it has come about that the extreme
temperance men of Ohio, impatient because
the Republicans did not 60 so fast and so
far as they wished, helped to put in power
the Democrats who will not go one step in
the direction of temperance. In New York
some Republicans justly indignant at the
misconduct of some other Republicans pro-
pose to join hands with the Democracy of
that state, whose policy is dictated by Tam
many Hall and whose civil service
practices have an exponent in the govern
ment of New York city and all other pla-
ces where the Democrats bear unrestricted
sway. Should those impatient and discon-
tented Republicans succeed in turning the
control Of the national government over to
the other party, they will have indefinitely
postponed all chances of the reforms which
they advocate. A study of the history of
that party whenever and wherever it has
been in power and an inspection of the per-
sonnel of the party ought to conviace any
body that reformers like Pendleton and the
few who sympathize with him would be
promptly set in the back ground, when once
the Democrats had got firm grasp upon
the national government. Men cannot gath
er grapes of thorns or figs of thistles and
practical reformers will prefer to sustain the
party of good repute and seek to effect their
purposes by its aid, rather than help into
power the party of ill-repute and trust to
miracle for producing good results from this
unlikely source.