The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-30
Office Holders and Political Parties.

There IS nothing in the spirit aad
genius of American institutions to
prohibit a person in the civil employ.
ment of the government from exer-
cislug all the rights and privileges
of an American Citizen.
To prescribe that an office holder
shall not participate in the plottical
movements and managements Of his
party, attend meetings, organize
clubs, and take the legitimate part
of any citizen In campaign affairs
is to say that he shall not enjoy the
rights and privileges of a citizen.
To be sure he should not be allowed
to neglect the duties of his offices.
and his official conduct should be so
free from partisanship as to give not
the least offence to any portion of the
public, whose servant, in the dis
charge of his official duties, he is,
but no further. A Federal office
holder has precisely the right to
vote, to assist in the selection OF
candidates for Office, and to aid in
the direction of political campaigns,
as any other citizen, and it IS his
duty to seek to promote the success
of his party, SO long as be does not
thereby neglect his public duties.
We have no patience with the pres
tended puritanic political virtue so
promiscuously parading itself thro'.
out the country. We want a
live, vigorous administration of pub.
lie affairs, and live. hard fighting
political parties contending for the
control Of the government. We
want no civil service dry rot in
American politics, and no system OF
life tenure Of office. We want rotation
in office, and a system of public pro-
motion On political and personal
merit. No man Is worthy of a
public office who has not been an
active, honest, hard working man in
the ranks Of his party. No man is
fit to remain in office who does no,
continue to work for and support his
party.
| Politics is next akin to statesman
ship, and no man can be a patriot
who does not take interest in public
affairs, Every man is not rank
partizan, nor is it desirable thai
they should be, but no man can be
Indifferent to public matters. or tht
proper administration of government
affairs. In this country, where ev,
cry man is voter, and al
the principal offices elective, thu
people rule through the ballot-box
and no man discharges his duty to
ward the public who remains away
from the polls.
Public intelligence will not ALLOW
party spirit to long run riot over th
land, and party ascendancy will gen
orally be properly regulated by th
people. Parties are the necessar,
agences Of government under al
elective system, and the Republic
would not survive an hour withou
them. They keep alive the prin
cipal upon which the Republic wa
founded. They formulate the is
sues of government which lead t
the measures for the regulatio
Of public affairs. They stimulate
, patriotic interest in the working
of government, and are at once th
source and the inspiration of gov
ernment. Without parties ther
t could be no organization of the pei
, pie for an expression of the popula
will.
The active leaders and Games
supporters OF party must believ
that the welfare of the country de
r pends upon the triumph of the pril
| cipals and measures Of I'll
party whose success they stri>
to win. When elevated t
office it snould not be required Of
: man to forswear his party, but rat
e er to seek its perpetuation in powt
e by all legitimate means.
, 1t is monstrous proposition thu
the men who lead parties to victor
must not participate in the publ
patronage, and equally absurd an
d outrageous the suggestion to ema
I culate man and deprive him of tt
r political rights ola citizen becaus
e chosen to public office.--Neao Bera
+ Journal
III Dead Give Away.
= "May be you don't like this sty