Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-09-03

occasional outcropplngs of a disposition
TO mimic In some form the titled nobility
of England. The fundamental ,cea of
our democratic system Of government IS
that public officers shall be the servants
OF the people, and the tenure of office IS
such that all power frequently reverts
back TO the people who may pass upon
the merits OF office holders and by ballot
render q verdict from which there IS no
appeal. This Is one Of the principles Of
our government that is bred and born in
the bone OF every American citizen, and
one which he will never yield. Ours IS a
a government OF the people, for the peo-
pie, and by the people. Our government
recognizes no official title of inheritance
in any one nor any standard of nobility
other than individual merit. Men are
chosen to Office upon their own merits
add n ,t:those of their fathers, and they
are selected with special reference to the
particular office for which they may be
name1.
Some incognito writer in the east who
is said to be prominent in the counsels
of the nation is advocating q lifetime seat
IN the senA te Of the United States for all
ex.presidenls, the main reason for which
being that tits hum,liatlng for them to
return TO the obscurity of private citizens
after occupying such an exalted position.
In addition to The honor of this represen.
talive capacity the writer referred to pro.
poses to give such ex-presldent senator a
salary equal to half of the salary of the
presldent.of the United States. This is
about as absurd proposition as could be
thrust into the taces of the American peo-
pie There are thousands OF men who
never held any Office that are as capable
of p. rtorm,ng the duties Of this represen
tsl,ve Office IS an ex president, and there
is no virtue N the proposition on the
score Of capacity or merit. 1t would be a
step towards titled nobility and very
obnoxious one to the people Of this ma
ton. He who feels it a humiliation to
return from the position of servant of the
people tc that Of one OF: the people is not
imbued with that American spirit which
the Office holder should feel, and it were
better for him if allowed to remain pri-
vate citizen from the first.
Washington felt it an honor to hand
bark to the people the office and power
OF the chief executive of the nation with
which they had invested h,m and resume
his station as private citizen, and he
lost nothing of his! hold upon the hearts
Of the people in doing so. Ex-pres.dent
Hayes - making a better success in poul.
try raising than could be hoped of him as
q senator, and ex-prcsldent Arthur is IN
= much more congenial atmosphere in
New York with his old companions who
call him "Chet',' than he would be IN the
senate. as 'rhe senator from New York, -
and is not capable Of doing the country
half as much damage. The states in
which the ex presidents live have the I'm
disputed right to elect them United
States senators il they wish to do 80 but
somehow they are always overlooked
when senatorial timber is desired. Ii
they 60 out OF office too poor to sustain
themselves in proper dignity it argues
badly for them az managers Of the affairs
OF tho nation as senators. II they cannot
save anything from $4,000 year and
furnished house they are not the men we
need to influence the financial policy Of
the nation.