The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-10-29
A NEW STANDARD OF HONOR

The people will elect a new Presi
dent next month who will hold con
troll of the government for good or il
for four years from the 4th of March
next.
It is, of course, important to thu
public interests that the candidate
elected shall be an honest man who
will make an honest administration,
A dishonest nan who would draw
rascals abeut him and use the power
of the government for personal and
corrupt ends would do a great deal Of
mischief in four Yeas.
But the people are going to elect
something of much greater impor-
lance than q President who will re-
main in office four years, and that lie
a standard of National Honor which
will last far beyond a single Presi'
Dental term.
Mr.. Blaine's success would mean
prodigal expenditures, a heavy sur-
plus, grinding taxation, reckless
policy and public robbery for four
years. But beyond these it would
also mean that MI. Blaine's methods
and acts during his long Congress
ional career shall be h%encefOrth and
far beyond four years the standard of
national honor in public life.
There is no plea that he never
wrote the Fisher letters. He accepts
their authorship and brazenly justi-
fies their contents. There is not a
word in them, he says, that is not
consistent with the most scrupulous
integrity and honor.
If, therefore, the people elect James
G. Blaine, they elect also as a stand
ard of American honor his disgrace
full letters as the test by which to
Judge public men in the future.
Blaine invites such a verdict when
calls on every voter to read the
correspondence. Then, If
they vote for him, they vote af1ma-
on the question of the scrupu-
lous integrity and honor of all the
transactions.
Arr the people really prepared to
accept and proclaim this new stand
ard of honor, this new code of official
f%aithfulness and integrity, this new
of public decency and homes
"? Can the nation afford to render
such a verdict?
Every intelligent man knows that
he whole business of life is based on
and trust, which can only
,e given felt when honor is unim-
and integrity urques-
In electing Blaine we should
',ect as a nation that honor and in
egrity amount to nothing, except as
hey are declared in the Fisher let
err, and illustrated by the Fisher
transactions.
We have the wealth of a young
nd vigorous country with room for
II and the blessings of nature as our
xhaustless capital. We could afford
be robbed by the Blaine brigands
n four years without fearing ruin
I'D bankruptcy.
But We can not afford to elect by a
of the nation Blaine's standard 4
honor. We can not afford to set Q
!, Blaine as an encouraging example :
integrity. Wecan not Is a nation 8
lord to present him as a model of '.
NOR to the younger generations. :
can not afford to issue q national =
cree through his elevation that dis '
nor in politics is the road to sue y
IS, and that honesty is no longer u
best policy. .
What a dreadful example Blaine's =
umph would be to hundreds of y
.usands of clerks and employees y
10 hold positions of trust! What &
encouragement it would be to de- q =
llting bank cashiers! ~
Nothing is more powerful than ex. "
lple; nothing more natural than "
itation. Blaine's election would
IAN au invitation to general dis 81
naStv IL