Morning journal and courier., 1884-02-25
sonruaI suS Gotriier.
SINGLE COPIES TWO GENTS
Monday. February 25, 1884.
TWO IDEAS OF POLITICS.

TWO IDEAS OF POLITICS. Two very different ideas of the political situation in this country have just been put forth by two great men, and they are well worth attention and comparison. One of the men is ex Boss Conkling, and judging from what he says he has not learned much, and has forgotten great deal This is the way he talked to 8 western reporter: Did you ever think, sir, that you can't do the sim plest piece of work of any shape or fashion without having controlling head, who may or may not be called the boss, but who will be the boss in rsalityP Do you want polit. ical party to be anything but flock of sheep? I am sick of this miserable stuff of bosses, coming from men all over this country, who never did days political work in their Hves. don't intend my remarks to be personal, sir, but now the Republican party has gotten rid of it's bosses every man who was a head taller than his fellows has been killed o1R It is an army that has shot its own leaders in the face of the enemy. Now I. hope the cranks are satisfied
 This Is decidedly refreshing and shows how blind to the progress of events" great man may be. Compare with this stupid and ugly utterance some remarks made by Presi- dent seelye, of Amherst college, at the Brooklyn political dinner. He does not think the people need bosses, and he does think that politicians need to be on their very best behavior. He says: We have not fallen on degenerate times, and hence we should de- mand in no doubtful terms that whatever party askssus to trust it with our vote should give us 8 candidate whom we can trust. If either party presents us as its candidate man whose private life is nokt pure, or whose public life has not shown itself sagacious or trustworthy, or who Is even now taking steps to capture the convention, for whom booms are organized under his direction and at his expense-let us refuse to take him, whosoever he may be; and if both parties do this let us turn from both, no matter how long and well they may have served us. The servant is not above his lord, and if a political party, called into being to gain g righteous end and for time fulfilling it's mission faithfully, then becomes 8 minister of un- righteousness, it's high achievements in the past, however glorious, give it no more claim for employment in the future than does the safe and speedy voyage which a ship has made warrant us in sending it richly frsiahted again upon stormy sea when we find its timbers rotten and itself no longer able to stand a storm. Soon or late we must have party which will embrace principle. The American people have too much moral earnestness to be long content with make-believes. They know the differ. ence between living questions and dead is sues. They will not perpetuate party organ izations which no longer moan anything. And if the Republican party Is to keep it's Rscendancy in the national administration it must have clear eye and 6 courageous heart to follow right measures and only righteous men.
 President Seelye also gave hls idea of the kind of man who should be nominated for President. These were his words: man, in the first place, in whose view the Presi- dency of these United States is not so much great dignity to be enjoyed as it is high and solemn trust to be administered; to which he therefore makes no claim, but only yields to the urgent claim which it makes on him. self-forgetful man, who could never use this great trust for his own reward nor suffer it to be used for the rewarding of his friends An honest man, too pure to be assaiied by even the suspicion of corruption, or if assailed, too powerful in his purity to need defence; 8 farsighted and courageous man. whom a self willed party cannot blind nor self-seeking partisans control. A patriotic man who could put beneath his feet the clouds which are ever above the partisan's head; man master of himself and subjecting himself to the claim of his country and the will of God.
 How poor and small the Conkling idea ap- pears when compared with the noble utter ances of President Ssslye. We believe that President seelye is entirely right in his opin- ion that the people of this country are too much in earnest to be put of with shars The independents" who have been per- sistently ridiculed and scoffed at by the s'or- eans" during the last two years, will elect the next President.