Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-11-20
sens.Disfranchisea.

Cleveland's speech at Harvard touch-
ing the indisposition OF men Of cul-
ture to enter the arena of practical
politics, says: "This is the chief
cause of the Generalization of our
politics" That journal goes on to
say:
The thing works in circle. Peo-
pie OF education and refinement
shrink from taking part in political
contests. These latter are conse-
auently monopolized oy the least cul.
tured class in the community. vi
course the result is that conventions,
caucuses and primaries Are scenes
where roughness, Ignorance and
prejudice predominant. In contem-
plation of this condition OF the pollt-
ical arena, the scholar and the man
of society inquiries Indignantly why
he should mix in such company. lie
forgets that it is just because ne re,
fuses to mix in it that the poiiticai
stage takes on the color which revoits
his soul. If he made practice OF
attending primaries and going to con-
yentions the disorderly element,
which is in a minority in all societies,
would have to reform it's behavior or
take back seat.
This is all right. 1t is all very
charming SO far as it goes. But it goes
80 little a way-so little that In the
very next column of the Bulletin the
cultured" voter is treated to this
The prevailing impression in the
East is, however, that the coming
man is Levi p. Morton. He is re-
markable man. A quarter OF a CEN
tury ago he kept a small dry goods
store in Connecticut town. MAX
| ing money, he moved to New York
and founded the banking house OF
Morton, Bliss & Co. Mr.. Bliss was
retired dry goods merchant OF large
means. He contributed the capital,
and Morton put in the brains. The
firm made money and was largely
connected with the early bond issues
of the Union Pacific. Until the Gar
field election, Morton had cut no hg..
ure in politics, but at the crisis OF
the campaign of that year, when
money was needed to carry lnIiana,
he undertook to furnish it, and Presi-
dent Arthur stated that it was to the
money which he subscribed and col
lected that the Republicans owed the
victory in Indiana which secured
them the Presidency. Morton got
for his reward the mission to France.
His tact and pleasing manners made
him quite a favorite at the French
capital. He has now returned home
and as he enjoys the friendship OF
both the Conkl:ng and the Blaine
factions, as he has plenty OF money
and knows how to spend 1t, as he
conciliates every one he meets, and
| is on the whole safe person, there is
ground for expecting that he may win
the coveted prize.
The coveted prize" is the seat OF
the Empire State in the United States
Senate. These are all certainly "peo-
pie of education and refinement. In
any convention, caucus or primary
where they meet, certainly one would
expect little "roughness, ignorance OR
prejudice to predominate. All the
same, from the Bulletin's own showing
that "political STAGE where they
were the chief actors might be ex-
pected to "take on the color whichre-
volts the soul' of all honest citizens.
The time has unhappily long passed
when Education and refinement"
can be taken as guarantee OF honor
and righteousness in politics, or in
anything else. Further, if there
were no people OF education and re-
finement who have "plenty OF mon
ey and know how to spend it" there
would be less political crookedness
in that class who at primaries may
be little trough and ignorant" If
there were no great millionaire mo-
nopolies, with shrewd tools like Hig-
gins, there would be little place for
men like "Schonchin" in politics.
His occupation would be gone, the
first moment he found there was
nothing in it for him."
A month or SO ago there was a pri-
mary held in our own "Holy Third"
A great many "people of education
and refinement took hand in the
same. A lot of honest working men,
who were branded as tramps voted
at it, who, had the "people OF refine
ment and education" taken no inter-
est to "run them in," would never
have dropped the pick or shovel, by
the use of which they were earning
their bread. The fact is, there is
more political corruption in high
places in day, than there is in the
lower ranks in year. While good
"people OF refinement and education"
like Deacon Fitch and DIR. Bartlett,
connive at, and even encourage men
like Levi p. Morton to get seat in
the Senate because che has plenty OF
money and knows how to spend it,"
politics will "take on the color that
revolts the SOUL" Four years ago,
Morton wanted the seat that Evarts
occupies. He is said to have made
show OF cool million OF coin at AL
bany. The honest farmers, who may
be a little "rough" at times, and who
ars not blessed with all the "refne-
ment" of college "education," rose
up in arms and threatened to split
the "God and morality" political ship
from stem to stern, if the high office
were sold. Norton pulled up his
purse strings and got him home again.