The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-09-18
Then and Now.

been radically changed. Before the
war the one was the peoples servant,
the executor of public will; now he
is the peoples master. the executor
of his own will. Then he was the
choice of the people, did not gain
place by ring rule and corrupt prac-
tees, by the purchase of votes, nor by
the Justification of election returns.
The Office was a free gift, obtained
without price; it was the peoples
place, not personal holding obtained
at individual cost, not a mortgaged
right held by its occupant for all in
sight. Now, the Office is an indiyid-
ual right, paid for, sold for base con-
siderations-the personal and financial
ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the officer. 1t is
his place; it is no longer that of the
people. Now, when the people speak,
the officer considers the effect of their
wish upon his own and his friends
rights-the rights of his little ring
and if the popular wish be contrary
to interests OF the ring they are
treated as naught; if they be in con-
formity with such interest they are
pushed to conclusion and richest
rewards go into private pockets in
stead of into the public treasures.
The false administration of public af-
fairs is the rule, honest administration
the notable exception. High officials
presidents and governors-resort to
maladministration, while notable ex-
amples find copyists IN all lesser and
subordinate positions. A case was in
point, the other day, which shows how
the relations of the officer towards the
people have been changed in the period
named. Mr.. Buchanan was the last
democratic president. He preceded
Mr.. Lincoln, and up to the time of his
leaving his exalted place the people,
in the smallest public matters, were
regarded as supreme. Mr.. Howell
Cobb, of Georgia, his secretary of the
treasury, employed the revenue cut
ter Harriet Lane to take a party of
friends down the Potomac. When
Mr.. Buchanan heard of this act he
sent for Mr.. Cobb, told him his
use of the vessel was without war
rant OF law, and that he must pay in
to the treasury the cost of the cutters
use. He summed up his reprimand
to the cabinet officer by saying
"The use of public property for private
benefit or pleasure, will not be tolerat-
ed. 1t is grave offense." Mr.. Cobb
paid. On an another occasion, Miss
Lane, the presidents niece, and mis-
tress of the White House, took adj
vantage of the Harriet Lanes passage
up the Hudson, and she and a party
of friends went to Albany upon the
vessel. On hearing of it The presi-
dent was mortified, AMI wrote her a
severe reprimand for having done, as a
member of his household, what could
not be tolerated in the most insignifi.
cant public employee. When Mr.
Buchanan was made president the
cost OF state and federal canvass
combined, in Pennsylvania, was $12,
600; now it is said to be over
100000. The money is paid
now, and the officer takes
a hundred times his price. But to the
case in point: A United States wal
vessel was sunk the other day in one
of the New England sounds. O1
course it was very poor war vessel
republican administrations have al
lowed the navy to run down so low
that nothing but worthless vessels
are left. while more money has beer
taken out of the treasury in twenty
years for naval purposes than ha.
been used in the same period by tn,
government of Great Britain il
building the finest navy in the world
The Tallapoosa was about as good a!
any of the few war vessels left, bu
she is now at the bottom of tn,
waters, and it will cost as much tt
get her up as she is worth. She wen
down while employed, as our nava
vessels are now almost wholly EN-
ployed, in sailing along the Atlantis
coast on frolicsome trip, planned b.
the secretary of the navy, Mr.. Chand
Ter. Had Mr.. Buchanan been presi
dent when the Tallapoosa went dow
this same Mr.. Chandler would hav
been unceremoniously dismisse,
from service, or made to pay tn
cost of the vessel. See the reverse
The Tallapoosa went down, and tn
frigate Tennessee was immediatel,
ordered out to still satisfy the frolic
some desires of Mr.. Secretary and hi
coterie of ill-bred friends. 1t is SAT-
that not less than dozen of the nava
vessels are now in use for private ex
cursions. Grant and his set were sen
around the world in one of our wa
ships. Last year naval vessel wa
for some time considered lost; whe1
finally heard from she had been take1
up New England river to secluded
place, where a government officia
might the better enjoy fishing an(
other sports. These cases are instanc
ed to Illustrate conditions then an(
now. Mr.. Buchanan was tn,
last of a line of democratic,
presidents at time when private us,
of public money and public property
was not admissible. Things hay,
changed, that which would have ther
caused dismissal of even cabine
officer is now done with impunity
Public property and public money
now belong to the official. Corrupt
practices-the individual manipula-
ton of voters, the purchase from ba &c
classes at the ballot box of office, the
bartering away by once royal suf
fragans of popular rights-have
changed the relation of the official to
the people. He is their master; the
people are enslaved.
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