Montgomery County sentinel., 1891-12-04
The Politician of Principle.

Politicians who stand firmly on principle,
as reward for consistency, seldom 4Focetve
nations gratitude, hence the ase,tlon
that republics are ungrateful has bealnE
proverbial. This, TO some extent, sbows Tie
lack OF principle in the masses, but it may
result from the ignorance OF the general
public on questions Of national importance,
the diversity of interests In great country
like ours, and the greater diversity OF opinion.
The successful politician must shape his
political course to suit the interests of bis
supporters, so that principle must be
secondary consideration with him who
seeks public favor. He must be veritable
weathercock, ready to turn with the strong
est breeze of public opinion that strikes
him-a political parasite that takes the
color of any interest to which he is at
tached-one Of those conservative" leaders
whom the poet has 30 ftly described
"Look, as blow this feather from my face !;
And as the wind blows II to me again,
Obeying1my wind as do blow,
And turning with another greater gust
Thus is 1t with ye weaker men,"
Such may be skilled politicians and com
mand great local infiuence-they may be of
unquestioned usefulness In securing local
appropriations, often of little general use
fulness, but they should not be trusted with
the formation OF laws that affect the most
sacred interests of the people, certainly not
with the execution of such laws in which q
lack of judgment or forbearance might stir
up anarchy and opposition to the national
or local authority and result in violence
and bloodshed.
1t is TO be hoped that the day is past when
men could secure the support Of vast bodies
of supporters to uphold their own fiendish
ambition at the expense Of thousands of
valuable lives and the destruction of mil
lions wosth of property. 1t is TO be trusted
that the day is at hand, or not far distant,
when the masses of all nations shall be so
enlightened by education and Christianity,
which teaches peace and good will unto
men, that reason may assert its power over
the influences of unprincipled, ambitious
men, whose sole aim seems to be to rule or
ruin.
True, there are some names to be found
on the bright page of early American his
tory which, like the polar sun, know no SET
ting. Their country's gratitude has shown
no eclipse. They are names which the peo.
pie love to revere for the changeless honor
and principle Of those that bore them, and
the more from the contrast which they pre-
sent to the political corruption Of the pres
ent day. Fortunately for them and those,
too, who do them honor, they lived in less
corrupt age than ours, nationally speaking !;
then, too, success was theirs success, the
greatest attraction for hero. worshibing
Americans. If they had failed in their op.
position to British rule and oppression, their
names would to day be either unknown in
American history or, ct most, but stars of the
fifth magnitude. The names of Washing
ton, Jefferson and Franklin are, indeed, dear
to every American heart, but their glory
arose not from their extraordinary culture,
or the brilliancy of their intellects, for in
that respect they were but ordinary men,
but from the circumstances that brought
success. Later we have the names of Web.
ster, Calhoun and Cass, representing char
acters ofequal principle and greater culture,
but failing In every attempt to secure the
first place in American official honors.
Coming down to our time, Lincoln, Grant,
Hayes and Harrison, men of ordinary cul-
ture and capacity, obtained first place over
their more gifted opponents, Douglass,
Seymour, Greeley, Tilden and Cleveland.
There can be no doubt that 1t was Mr..
Cleveand's persistent adherence TO out
spoken principles that cost him his disas-
trous defeat in his second contest. At tina t
time the low tariff element was relatively
weak, the people having been deceived by
false teaching. In the coming contest he
will have to meet and overcome the oppo-
sition to his course on the free silver ques-
ton. OF course all must concede that he is
conscientious and right on that question,
except, indeed, those who are interested In
the sale of bullion to the government. Our
government is coming millions upon mil.
lions of silver dollars, worth intrinsically
but seventy five cents-the value which
must be placed upon them by foreign pow
ers, for the United States, with all her power,
cannot establish the value of her currency
in foreign countries.
This question will doubtlessly ensure the
solid vote of the Pacific States against Mr..
Cleveland, but it will gain him many friends
in the East, which will likely more than
balance his loss in the far West. But what
ever may be the issue in '92, and whatever
be the result of the contest, one thing can
be depended upon, and that is, that our great
leader will be found true to his expressed
opinion, there will be no shadow of turning
with him. Having planted himself upon
the rock of fixed Democratic principles, he
will remain there, and all who wish too see
those principles prevail and the interests of
our best and most useful citizens upheld,
will stand by him, for he is the politician of
principle, as he is also the acknowledged
exponent OF American craftsmanship
Eaunua Nos