The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-02-07
Allison's Mista ka.

son 5 administration. 1t seems that Mr..
ALI 'on was at one time inclined to accept
tie honor, but yielded to the importuni-
ties of his brother Senators not to leave
that body. One of the cogent reasons as
signed for this determination, is, as stated.
that to accept would injure his prospects
for the Presidency in 1892. A further rea-
son is given that TO accept. would close his
political career after the expiration Of his
term of office. All of these surmises would
depend upon circumstances. In the first
place, if Mr.. Harrison gives the country a
sound, safe, statesmanike administration.
he will De his own successor. 1t Is the
unwr ten law of parties, that when the
occupant of the Presidential chair meas
ures up to the requirements Of the coun-
try and his party. his denomination will
fol- W. There is DO suspicion now that
Mr.. IIarI ison will, hot do this. In the
next place there can lie no more effective
training for the Presidency than service
in the Senate and In the Treasury Depart
mem Ii the administration of the office is
of Il g occupant. they are infinitely ad-
vanoed and popular attention concen
trated upon the person who has mastered
the finances of the nation. Ii he fails in
this position then it would be lucky for
the country that his capacities were
measured efure he entered upon the
higher duties Of Chief Magistrate. The
people have never Yet passed nnfavOrably
| upon "a faithful. able and successful public
| officer To cite Bayard, Lamar aud Gar
! the Senate IT, accept Cabinet positioEs, is
Simply to Prove the rule that the severest
| training Il man can have and the best tests
| of hii adm illustrative abilities is to serve
| in such position. They have failed and
that is the end of their political career.
| They were failures before they consented
| to 60 into Cleveland S Cabinet, but neither
they nor the country knew it. 1t was
som thing different to administer the
ramiti ID and intricate affairs of depart
mcnt, requiring ready DIT cision and a
broad range of information, to making
studied Grafton to the galleries from the
Senate floor The one required states
manShip-the other the gift of CAB and
self confidence. Each of these gentlemen
found true.measurenent of his size in
gr tppling with.qnestions of STATE and sd-
miDistration which would Deyer have been
disc Jyered in bis senatorial career.
| Mr.. Allison need not have been fright
ened by the fate of this trio of lamentabie
failures. lie has already shown large ca
paclties and further test in the Treas
ury Dep srtment would have convinced the
country that lie was fitted for higher hon.
ors and they would have come to him we're
the circumstances such AS to make anoth-
err nomination than Harrison III 1892 pol.
itic.
But how does Mr.. Allison's dec'ension
place him ? 1t is undoubtedly true that
1t is III duty of every public mar to serve
his country to the best Of his ability III
Whatel er station he may be called. He
owes the Nation this service. Aud If the
general judgment assigns him to certain
duties, it is an obligation he owes the
country to meet that demand by a willing
service if 1t is possible for him to do SO,
although it may necessitate personal
sacrifice. In this instance, it is so. Mr..
Allison was d, sirous of taking bold of
the Treasury portfolio, with view to
carrying out certain financial views be
eutertains, and to demonstrate bis admin
istrative capacities. But the appeals of
brother Senator's, for him to remain one of
them, and She further reflection that to re.
sign the Seuatorship to accept the Treas
uIy, would injure his Presidential pros
poets in 1892 are assigned as the reasons
for declining the invitation of Gen. 1lar-
rson. If MIR. Allison caA be so mindful
of SELF and so unmindful of the interests
of tho country and the wishes OF the peo-
pie, irrespective of parties. it is more
than likely that the sentiment thus disre-
garded would manifest itself in no uncer-
tain way when self was again presented
as the motive of ambition. No man ever
yet lost by faithful and unselish public
service and no man has ever run sue
cessful public career when self was placed
above country.
Mr.. Allison has deep hold upon the
confidence of the nation. There never has
been a position rendered gentleman
backed by such universally of favor and
attended by such expressions of public
satisfaction. To turn his back upon these
manifestations is serious business, II
is not patriotism. II is not devotion to
country or party.as primal consideration.
1t is not an exhibition of that Roman
courage, which is an essential element in
the make up of truly great man. To
guage and digest the chances of political
preferment hereafter, in the presence of a
present grave public duty, is an exhibit
tion of weakness that detracts from the
symmetry of Mr.. Allison's fame as a
statesman.
, 1t is due to frankness, that in men
tioning the fact of Mr.. Allison's de-
clension of the Treasury Department.
fair criticism of the act should go
along with it. lie has disappointed the
No man stands higher with them. He is
regarded as one of the cleanest and abiest,
as we'll as the safest and most conseIva-
tive of our public men. and the Republi.
cans of the country, with one opinion.
desired that be should take charge of the
Treasury Department.
In the light of these facts We cannot
but conclude that his dec,ension is mon
umental blunder, so far as be is con.
cerned. as well as disappointment to
Gen. Harr' son and tie Republican party
of the country. Those who have advised
him to the step it is said he has taken,
are doubtless his friends, but they have
been influenced by perverted sense of
public and party duty and have traversed
the judgment and wish of the great mass
of the Republicans of the nation.
4 correspondent of the London Times
says that the word "teetotal" had its orig
in through suffering temperance ora
tor who urged OH his hearers, that moth
ing less than ''te te-to-tal" abstinence
would satisfy temperance reformers Some
at once adopted "ieetotal' as a suitable