Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-24
THE BIG HEAD.
The Disease Which Troubles Some
congressman.

From the Neio York World.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21.-The atmos-
phere OF official life in Washington is
fatal to inexperienced or feeble brains.
There is something in the air of the high
attitudes OF Washington official life
which requires gradual acclimation or
very sturdy brains o successfully endure
1t. The surface indications OF the alb
normal results OF this air are shown IN
the enlarged heads OF It's poor victims. A
swelled head is one OF the most common
forms OF the evil effects OF this official
atmosphere.
The saddest thing about the swelled
head is that it is generally found TO be
incurabe. The only thing which can in
a measure reduce it is the direct removal
of the victim to private life, but even that
after period OF petty pomp and power at
Washington generally falls.
The parallel to Jones' case Is found
in that OF Mellish, of New York,
who. as a clerk in the New York sustom
house few years ago, was happy and
contented man. In an evil hour he ac-
cepted Republican Congressional nom-
nation, which was going begging in
strong Democratic district. BY the acct
dent of sudden split of the Democ ats
into tactiOnal fight Mellish found him
self elected to Congress, The turn was
too sudden for him. Excited by his eie-
walton, and overcome by his desire to
com prehend the financial question, be
became violently insane, and was actu-
ally confined in the Government Asylum
before he had served out his first term.
There is no one who is more subject to
the Washington disease of enlarged head
than the man who is drawn suddenly
from obscurIty, not by the natural pro-
cess of discovery and selection by the
people, but by the swiftly impellng force
OF appointment. Ii is an odd but unques-
toned fact that the man who receives
high appointment through mere favor
thinks much more ofhimselt than does the
man who has fought his way up through
an election. The newcomer VINO is pro-
PEELED into official space by the proiectlle
OF partisan appointment always de-
sends upon Washington like conquer
ing hero. He comes inspired by high
sense OF duty, resolved to correct abuses
and inaugurate reforms never dreamed of
by the most serious minded OF the pOlti-
cal veterans. There is no one more deeply
imbued with the Roman virtues of reform
than the newly appointed official.
But he finds in his path at the very out
set the f1atterers and The supple-kneed
su DO. dinate officials who have controlled
in their time 80 many new chiefs. How
can great man, suddenly discovered,
Investigate the subordinate who has such
nice discrimination in his bows, such an
eagle glance for his chiefs virtues, and
such flowing phrases OF appreciation for
the new hand at the bellows? He says to
himself: "A man who is noble enough to
appreciate Me must be an honest man."
This little comedy has been played over
and over again in the departments. The
influences that have controlled the de-
partments under Republican rule still
prevail IN majority of the departments.
No conspicuous reform has been made in
any one OF the departments, notwith-
standing the fact that misruIe and mis-
management of the affairs of the govern
ment, with the necessity for change,
were the issues of the last campaign.
The obstacles in the way of new men in
official lite III Washington are the fiatter-
ers, who stand ready to persuade them
that everything they do is right, and the
fact of their simple presence in Washing
ton is in itself so great reform that the
public would be mad to demand anything
beyond.
1t is the iron test of a man to find how
he bears elevation and prosperity. The
man who changes to fit new position,
who initiates his manners to suit sup
posed demand for higher line of dep0rt-
ment as he advances, is essentially
weak man. The really great men of
Washington life are the simplest, the
least assuming and the most natural l..
None Of them have what is called the
official manner.