The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-10-04
Demands Upon Public Officers.

1t may appear all right enough for
public men to take some recreation hc<Y
and then, for man needs rest and relief
from the burdens and cares of life, and
he is no less in need of it because he &C
cepts the responsibilities of public Of
fee. But while this is true, il IS also
true that public office brings witt +
certain restrictions and sacrifices which
they, who voluntarily assume such of
fees, must accept and abide by. Pri-
vate employment means independence.
and affords leisure and opportunity
for every qualification which inclination
and means may suggest and permit,
but when man accepts a public Sc
ton he must surrender some of that
personal and individual independence.
and this is generally so understood &
the people. He ceases, for the time be-
inc, to be master of his time and his pleas
urable pursuits, and agrees to serve
those who have honored him with pub
lie confidence. The public service is
exacting, else the commnn good would
be endangered by inattention and
neglect. The people expect that
men prominent in official station
shall set examples of diligence and
strict regard for the faithful discharge
of public duties. The induction into
Office and the assumption of the powers
that may pertain to it does not lift the
person so selected above the people, nor
make him law unto himself or give
him superior rights or privileges. He
is still a servant of the people, RESPONSE
h1a tn tbopo for. his conduct onH tho
higher he is placed the more eXacting
are his duties and the more the people
expect of him. 1t is, therefore, mat
ter of just criticism, whether the Presi-
dent and his Cabinet should embrace
opportunities, which persons, with a
lively sense of favors to come, offer, for
protracted leaves of absence from the
seat of Government, thus setting exam
piles Of inattentiOn to SubOrdinateS, and
making easy the way to the neglect OF
public business. There can be no just
excuse for this growing practice. II
was not the custom In the past, and ii
ought not to become the custom now.
General Grant was largely responsible
for this violation of official duty, and it
has steadily grown worse ever since. The
proper place at all times tor the Gus
todians of public interests is in this
city. 1t is here they are expected to
be found when the citizens have bust
ness to transact with them, and unless
they are called away to other points by
the discharge of official duty, here is
where they ought to remain. This
squares with the public sense of official
duties and obligations; it is the rule OF
common sense, and it may be said to
their great credit, it was the rule which
Democratic Presidents lived up to. Old
Hickory sharply rebuked one of his
Secretaries for desiring to be absent for
a longer period than the President
thought proper; and, as he himself
practiced what he preached in this
particular, the Secretary in question
had to admit the force of Jackson's
objections. This good old custom has
been badly broken into by recent Presi-
dents and their confidential advisers,
but if it shall be the good fortune of
the people to have a Democrat for the
next President, this custom of attend
ing strictly to business will be restored
again, and its good effect will be speedi-
ly seen in more faithful public serv-
ice and the more implicit confidence of
the peOple.-An1ericd11 Reqister.