The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1886-05-18
GUY CYRIL'S EXPERIENCE
WITH YOUNG OFFICE
SEEKERS.
DO the Means Justify the
Easd 2
WHINING, .sICKLY sYCoPHANTS
CRYING FOR GOVERNMENT PAP.
Especial Correspondence Asheville Citizen ]


WASHINGTON, d. c., May 10, '86.
Young men of North Carolina, if you
expect to be an honor to your State and
the community in which you live, don't
come to Washington as beggars for Office
1t is poor investment for the capital
employed which is really your brains,
talent and energy. Ifyour native genius
fails you at home, don't expect that the
Capiatl of your country will provide you
a place, even though your Congressman
is for you tooth and toe-nail. Believe
me, he doesn't arloEnt to-Iauch hereex-
Gel t as whole in a party vote, and has
no more influence with the administra-
ton than you would have in trying to
blow back a western cyclone with a hand
bellows travelling at the late Of so miles
a second.
'Shun politics in your youth as you
would pestilential malarjal swamp, and
your old age will be a comfort and a
blessing; but should you decide to enter
the great army OF otlice-scekers in the
hey-day OF youth and succeed for while,
make sdrc YOU will be no bettar off TWEEN
ty years EeEce than when you first en-
tered the Political arena. You will be
political wreck sooner or later. It is
only question of time.
Better crust { f corn bread and cold
bam at home working for the material
wealth and development of your native
State, than bakers bread and canvass
back duck away from home filling petty
governmental position.
In the former place, you are liable to
achieve reputation (and of all fame that
won at home is always the best) which
you can leave as a legacy to those coming
after you; in the latter position you soon
go the way of the great horde of office
holders, falling ere you are aware Of it,
into the deep vortex of oblivion, which
has engulfed thousands far abler, shrewd-
er, and better than yourself
While in this city during the past
week here met several poor, detected,
disconsolate, disappointed, office-seekers
from North Carolina-young men at that,
able-bodied and we'll educated, importu-
ming the North Carolina delegation for
office and hanging around their Congress-
men like young ducklings crying loudly
and incessantly for government pap.
It was a pitiful and sad sight.
One of these youthful supplicants for
office had been in Washington since the
first day of last January-had spent all
the cash he had brought with him, and
$3.50 borrowed money from his dear old
mother left alone at home, and no nearer
the goal of of his dreams than when he
first arrived. He looked seedy, thread
bare and disappointed. No money, no
friends, no sympathy and work than all,
offfao
day and a slim one too at that. He look
ed ike d veritable June shad, while his
manhood and youthful spirits were last
leaving him. His old haunts knew him
no more-old friends ditto. His money
had given out and he was left alone to
pine over his adversities and lament the
folly of his woe
Such indeed is the sad fate of many
office-seekers
Sadly in debt, time lost. nothing ac-
complished, and hopes deferred, this
young man was tramping around Wash
ington with the hopes of getting gov
ernmental berth somewhere and at some
time, but when and where he was unable
like many others to tell.
What sorry spectacle-living between
expectancy and doubt-sponging on
friends and relatives in order to work
into a place which he might possibly
hold for four years on a tolerably fair
salary, and liable at any moment to be
removed for a party worker.
Is there anything more humiliating?
Young men of North Carolina, those
of you who are hankering for office, re-
main at home, work out the salvation of
your own State-one of the grandest
in the galaxy of all the commonwealths.
Serve her in manly, honest work, either
with your hands or with your head, give
your perfect manhood in noble deeds
and manly impulses, putting her forward
in material wealth and advance ment,
and then IN after years you can look
back with a certain degree of mental sat-
isfaction and pardonable pride, wherein
you can well say, "I did my duty at home
and served my State in the honorable
role of private useful citizen, in such
work as advanced her in the mighty and
glorious development of the grand sister
hood OF States" Guy CYRIL.