The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-07-20
Professional Politicians.

Some good people have quit voting
| and ceased to take any interest in theil
| local campaigns, because they say the
| nominations are all made the profes-
sional politicians, and the details OF
government are dictated by them, nc
matter which way they vote. There il
some truth in this. A good many local
campaigns are bound to result against
the people because all the candidates
are tools who can be used for the pur-
poses of the men who set them up. A
few bilious and bitter malcontents even
60 so far as TO say that Republican
form of government is wrong because
Of this political abuse.
The form is all right. The trouble
is not with tue form Of government.
The trouble is with the indifference OF
the people rather with the e3grossing
business of tie people. The busy man
of affairs does not take time to go into
politics and see TO it that proper men
are nominated and elected. The Amer
ican spirit of push in business affairs
has attracted all attention, and the busi-
ness man in moderate way, or the pro-
fessional man and thinker hardly takes
time to 60 TO the polls at q general
election and cast his ballot. On the
other hand, unscrupulous men OF more
than ordinary wealth are quick to See
the advantages OF perversion OF the
functions OF Democratic government.
Not having time to get into politics
themselves. they hired men with not
too nice a sense Of honor to do politics
for them.
This gave rise to the professional pol
iticiau. Young men who had some wit
and no conscience have taken up the
profession and pursued 1t for profit,
their pay coming from powerful corpo-
rations aud very wealthy individuals in
return for influence exerted in favor Of
special privileges and legislation In the
interest of capital as against the welfare
OF the masses. Thus a great deal OF
such legislation Is found on the statute
books of every State in the Union, and
the appeal of the citizen for manifest
justice is often defeated by coming in
contact with these vested rights" ot
some great nonopolistic corporation or
combination.
This year the professional politician
ascended to national politics. Harri-
son and Morton ara the result in the
ticket, and the Republican platform for
free whisky and the perpetustioE of the
monopolies who foot the bills are the
result in principle. Quay is the very
personifcation of the professional poll
tician, and he is intrusted with the
conduct OF the campaign with the we'll
known methods. There is no attempt
to make it appear that the candidates
nominated at Chicago were the choice
OF any considerable number of people,
even in the Republican party. The
most popular candidates were shame
lessly cut to pieces by the professional
politicians in the pay of the monopolies
and capitalistic combinations.
But even this invasion of national
politics by the professional politician
does not make our system of Democratic
government wrong. 1t is the profess
sional politician who is wrong, and that
social system is wrong which demands
such close attention to business on the
part of honest men that they musG allow
these Doodle politicians to choose candi-
dates for them. 1t is the duty OF every
good citizen to support the constitution
OF his country and he does not do that
wEo allows the professional politician
TO endanger its permanence by the prac-
tice of his business of boodlipg in poll.
tics.
The citizsn who gets too virtuous to
mingle in the foul struggle of politics is
not good citizen, aud cannot become a
good citizen. until he rolls up his sleeves
and goes into the foul pool with the dis
infectant, honesty, and does what he can
to purify It. The people have it in their
hands to uEhorse the professional polIti>
clans and trample them into the dust,
and they should do it. There is drst
rate opening in this c:ty to begin such a
process, and extending it to the State
will wipe Chairman Quay, Chairman
Cooper and Chairman-t TO- be Andrews in
one common heap. as traitors to the
constitution which prohibits bribery dI-
rect and indirect. Let the reform pro-
cession move.--P,ttsblfrg Post.