Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-05-09
POLITICS A BAD TRADE.
The Record that l435 Men Have
Left Behind Them in the
Legislature.
Correspondence of the Phila. Press.

HARRISBURG, April 81. - 1t
strange that so uncertain and SO unre
munerative an occupation, or profes
sion, or whatever it may be called, a
politics should have so may persisten
followers among men of average abili
ty and intelligence. | know scores o
men who have sacrificed a score O
their best years and all the business
opportunities those years afforded ii
the scramble for sect in the Legisla
ture. Some have succeeded, if Ii tern
of one, two, or even eight years in al
effort of twenty can be called success
and if the cost in time and money, ant
sometimes character, is not reckoned
But in what have they succeeded
In achieving distinction {? II
making for themselves a name to live
after they are dead How many o
the members of the Legislature since
1866 are remembered even by the peo
pile of their own districts Their
bills, their speeches, their years of ser
vice, their names, even, are forgotten
In the seventeen years since | came
to Harrisburg, exactly l435 different
men have occupied seats in the Legis
lature. In that time, out of exactly
1876 different members chosen, fifteen
Charles +. Boyle, Hester Clymer
f. D. Collins, w. A. Duncan, Daniel
Ermentrout, Russell Errett, James B.
Everhart, H. G.. Fisher, George v
Lawrence, Levi Maish, John l. Mitch
ell, L. d. Shoemaker, Morgan r.
Wise, Harry White and William A
Wallace-reached Congress from the
Legislature Mitchell and Wal,
lace-the United States Senate; two
John Latta and Charles w. Stone
The Lieutenant Governorship; two
Aaron X. Dunkel and William Nc
Candless-the Office of Secretary of In.
ternal Affairs; one-William p. Schell
to that of Auditor General one
Samuel Butler-to that of State Treas
urer; six Edwin Albright, o. p.
Bechtel, James A. Hunter, William Z.
jerks, John ii Orvis and Cyrus l..
Pershing-to the judgeship of their
districts, and eight-Charles II. Buck
alew, Clymer, A. III. Dill, William L.
Davies, John Fertig, John M. Greer,
Pershing and John Stewart, to State
nominations, to be beaten. In all, out
of 1885 men who occupied seats in the
Legislature since January |, 1866,
but twentynine have received political
promotion. Has the result been
worth the effort, the game worth the
powder?
THE FASCINATION OF CAPITOL HILL.
But the "Hill," like the gaming
table, and the life of the Snowman and
the newspaper man, has its fascina-
tions to those once there almost ire
sistible, and often seemingly uncon-
trollable. can name few men who
made position on the Hill" a step
ping-stone.to seat in the Legislature
Alexander Adair and Hocatio p Con-
nell, of Philadelphia, and Alexander
.Godshalk, of Lancaster, in the Lower
House; and Fred Braggins and James
G. Brown, both of Mercer, aud A. ID.
Harlan Gust elected in Senator Ever
hart's place) of Chester, in the Senate
and many who made it plank to
slide down into a position of simple
bread and butter. Let me name those
only which now occnr to me: Adam
Woolever, Harry Huhn and William
O. Shurlock, from seat in the House
to the desk OF q chief clerk; ID. H. I'M
brie (once Senatorl and Robert S.
Frazier, to clerkships in the Auditor
Generals office; III. S. Greenawalt and
Il. II. II. Stackpole to the Treasury;
M. Edgar King, to the Auditor Gener-
ais department, Lucius Rogers ard
j. B. Agnew, to that of Internal At
fairs; j. @. Stewart, to the School De-
partment; j. +. Allen, A. w. Bell and
James j. Monaghan,
The point that | would make in oil
of tAis, and which | would impress
upon the young men especially, is that
there is nothing in politics as busi-
ness. If successful, nothing more
than bare living; if unsuccessful,
nothing but an outlay of time and
money. A government clerkship
makes man "a machine, stunts his
business development, and dwarfs all
his nobler aspirations into a simple de-
sire to keep on the pay roll. Any
honorable occupation affords as good a
living; anything reputable is just as
honorable; anything honorable more
permanent and independent. The
chances, as / have endeavored to show
by the actual figures, for either promo-
tion or permanent eaploYmant are lit
.la better taan the chances OF being
struck by lightning If what have
written deters any young man with
the Legislative or any other political
bee in his bonnet from further follow
ing the ignts fatuus of politics my
object has been accomplished.
The Governor of North Carolina
said to the Governor of SoIth Caro-
Ina "Sir, the best remedy in the
world is DIR. Bulls Cough Syrup" and
the latter seconded the assertion.
"A girl has been born out West
with three tongues. If she does not
die young some poor man will com
NIT suicide.
~" Nothing so simple and per.
feet for colcyi.e ss the Diamond Dyes
Eoe carpet rags. better and cheaper
than any other dye-stulls.
Here I've been talking for hal
an hour" said the auctioneer, "and |
havn't got an offern "Italf an hour,
indeed, murmered an elderly maiden
whats half an hour to many long
years, and still no hope of an offer p
That poor bedridden, invalid wife
sister, mother or daughter, can b'
made the picture of health by u few
bottles of Hop Bitters, win you le
them suffer- whoa So easily cured!
People who have been bostere,
up and levcred all their lives are sci
dom good for anything in crisis