The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-08-06
THE RIGHT OF OFFICE.
Every Live American Entitled to BE 6
Partisan.

Partisan.
The masses of the American people do NOT
want Office. They prefer to be farmers mer.
chants, lawyers, editors, mechanics or follow.
ers of almost any other honest vocation to
holding Office. Nor do they care whether
their postmaster is.a Republican or Demo
crat. But they do want and mean to have
the spoils system, with all its rascality, its
diversions of official energy into partisan
channels, its periodical Ovcrturning OF bust
ness, its demoralizing influence on the civil
service Of the country, swept away.-ROcheSteI
Herald.
The masses of the American people
do want office. The average man
wants it for himself or if not for himself
for his brother, his cousin or his uncle
He certainly does not object to Office
and to possession OF the influence that
office controls. He has as much right
to office and its duties and its influence
and its salary as anybody else. Office
was created for his benefit. But for his
interest in Office, little and big-not
necessarily for the sake of the emolu-
ments of Office, but perhaps for the rea-
son that he can hold office well and for
the benefit of his fellow-citi he.
would lose the interest in politics which
Is the groundwork of this system of
Government We are political peo-
pie, and when the people become indif-
ferent to politics it will be time
to change the system and adopt
the old proposition that the few
are capable to fill office and the
many are not 1t follows naturally
that they do care whether their post
master is a Republican or Democrat.
Every live American is partisan, as
he should be. Every man proposes that
his party shall get all that belongs to
it. Let us even admit it is due to party
organization that this should be the
case-for the fact that man is an Of
tice-holder ought not to make him a
political or any other kind of monde
script; but beyond that, il is due to the
personal qualification of the partisan
whose principles have Won in fair con-
test 1t does not follow, of course. that
the office will be badly administered.
There are just as good men in one par
ty as in the other. 1t is the tangible evil
dence of party success which is the due
of every voter. and with the idea up
permoSt that the administration of the
office must be honest and able it would
be exceedingly improper to withhold it.
There is proportionately as much inter-
est in the small post-office as in the
larger one and in the still greater
office. and it will be sorry day fol
this country when that interest ceases.
Beyond this, it is honorable to be a
partisan or a politician; and. melan-
choly as it may be to the believer in a
polit cal millennium, it is just that the
party which wins should assume the
financial reward as well as the partisan
glory.
What does our esteemed contem-
porary mean by 1.-The spoils system?"
If we admit that office-holding is
spoils-holding we adopt term that is
meant to be Objectionable, and argue
that otfice-holding. or perhaps we
should say Office ting. is bad. Well,
if it is bad for one partisan it Is bad
for another partisan. Are we 10 adopt
the proposition that office-keeping is
honorable and ofiice-getting is not?
Is there not. moreover. as much rascal
ity in the effort to keep in as in the eff
fort to get in. and is it not as hard to
circumYent the one as to destroy the
other? The Rochester Herald would
make the office holder a mummy and
the Office-seeker scoundrel; but both
are good American citizens, and as
such they VII have their way.
The periodical overturning of bust
ness" is not an evil-it is rather n po-
litical and perfectly legitimate neces-
sitv and it does good. Whether it is
good or otherwise. however. it is not
the filling of the subordinate offices
that overthrows business. 1t is the Ma
tional campaign and. to some extent,
the State campaign. Would our es-
teemed contemporary put an end to
them? Is it Rochester logic that there
must be no further National conflicts,
however much the people may desire
them, for the reason that business" is
likely to be annoyed by them? Ii
there must be National changes would
it be well to draw the line at the Presi-
dent, leaving the old Cabinets in power
and would it not be well to stop the
Congressional contest, too?
The toes of the Rochester contempo-
rary have got where its heels ought to
be. 1t would advance backward. 1t
yearns for the kingdom. 1t does not
believe in the popular vote or the aver
age American partisan. y Graphic