The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-03-09
POLITICS NOT THE ONLY PATH TO FAME.
Oh. how wretched

Oh, how wretched
Is that poor man who hangs on princes favor.
There is between that smile we aspire to,
That sweet aspect Of princes and their ruin,u
More pangs than wars or women have.
The French speak contemptuously of the
English as a nation Of shopkeepers. but if
the vivaciOus Frenchman should turn his
attention to the United States just now, and
witness the clamor of seven thousand men
| in Washington pressing their personal
claims for Office upon the newly-elected
president, with persistence that preeludes
all idea of modesty by the candidates; if he
should happen to know, moreover, that the
| hungry horde of place-seekers now in
| Washington represent but about one in a
hundred who are really seeking positions at
the hands of the president and his cabinet,
he would be justified in characterizing
the Americans as a nation of office
hunters and place-seekers e pithets
more justly approbrious than shop
keeper. For, though the latter is associ-
ated in the French mind with species of
low sordidness, the former is associated
With the idea of an adventurer, a camp
follower
Politics in our great republic has become
profession, and in the best sense of that
term-politics-a noble profession it is. To
influence the destiny of a nation; to direct
its course towards the channels of habitual
justice, righteousness, truth and peace; to
stand watch and guard over the rights and
liberties of thousands personally unknown
to him who speaks out in their behalf; to
be the instrument in any degree of making
a nation loved at home and revered abroad,
are worthy ambitions These are the OBJ
iects to be attained by the profession of
politics-of government; but when these
ends are rudely thrust aside, and self-ag-
grandizement, the emoluments of office, OF
place, become the chief object of the politi-
clan, he disrobes himself and the profession
he follows of the dignity which Of right at
taches to it, and reduces what should be
noble, praiseworthy profession to an IN
| seemly scramble for place, where the pay
is large and the labor is light.
Still, offices must be filed, and it will be
difficult if not impossible to get rid Of this
horde of camp-followers that degrade our
politics by their ceaseless and boisterous
NAfl4L4Ol 1DI ple+CC u AOA SAiOAA PSA
services; and it may be expected for long
time to come that Just such scenes as are
now being enacted in Washington will be
repeated at each successive change in the
administration Of the government. What
shall be done, then! How can the evil be
destroyedl Destroyed il may not be; that
is too much to hope for, but les
sened it certainly can be. 1t is too
true that your average American
is nothing if not political. Hitherto and
now, the profession of politics has, been re-
garded as the shortest and surest path to
prominence, to fame and to wealth. 1t is
natural for men to seek for place in the
worlds attention; to leave upon record
name that shall not die; to strive for dOmin-
ion and rule over their fellows; and as poll
tics affords what are esteemed the most
convenient paths leading to these ambitious
ends, they have constantly been crowded
by eager throngs pushing and iostling each
other, cursing, swearing, laughing, weep
ing; now flushed with hope, now plagued
with fears; now partially gratified with
success, now overwhelmed with defeat.
Without the ability, the genius, .to push
their way to the front ranks, except in a
few cases, they keep falling back and back
until at last they are left by the great
throng, and all they can do is to follow in
the rear of their party, in hopes of being
permitted to pick up few crumbs from the
tables Of their more fortunate competitors
In the struggle for political existence; they
become camp-followers, or, perhaps, more
properly speaking, party-followers; I'M
able to succeed Of themselves, they hope
70 reap something by the success
OF their party. Piteous is the state of the
politician that is reduced to this straight.
Like the man who hangs on the favor of
princes, there are between that smile, that
FAVOR ne aspires to, more pangs and fears
IMAM wars or women have.
"hlle the profession of politics, in the
DesC sense OF that term, as stated before, is
honorable, let the young men of our land
know that it is not the only one in which
honest lame can be acquired. Other pro
fessions and the trades are as honorable
and even less liable to be associated with
that which is dishonorable and morally
filthy, and offer equally good opportunities