The Russellville Democrat., 1892-07-28
OFFICE HOLDING.
How It snps Maniiness snd EneFyates shf
 Whofe Character.


 How It saps maniiness snd Enervates shs
 Whole Character.
 had ceased to be writer of tolerably poor tales and essays and had become tolerably good sur yeyor of the customs. That was all. But nevertheless it is anything but agreeable to be haunted by a suspicion that one's intellect is dwindling away or exhaling without your consciousness, like ether out of phial, so that every glance you find smaller and less volatile re- siduum. Of the fact there could be no doubt, and examining myself and others I was led to conclusions in reference to the effect of public office cn the character not very favorable to the mode of life in question. A custom house off cer of long continuance can hardly be very praiseworthy or respecta- ble parsonage, for many reasons ]; one of these, the tenure by which he holds his situation, and another, the very nature of his business, which though, 1 trust, an honest one--is of such sort that he does not share in the united effort of mankind.
 An effect--which 1 believe to be observable more or less in every in- dividual who has occupied the posi- tion-is that while he leans on the mighty arm of the republic his own proper strength departs from him. He loses in an extent proportioned to the weakness or force of his original nature the capability of sell. support. If he possesses an un- usual share of native energy, or the enervating magic of place does not operate too long upon his forfeited powers may be redeemable. The ejected officer fortunate in the unkindly shove that sends him forth betimes to struggle amid struggling world-may return to himself and become all that he has ever been. But this seldom happens. He usually keeps his ground just long enough for his own ruin, and is then thrust out, with sinews all unstrung, to totter along the difficult foot of life as he best may. Conscious of his own infe- riority-that his tempered steel and electricity are lost--he forever after ward looks wistfully about him in quest of support external to himself. His prevailing and continual hope = hallucination which in the face of all Encouragement and making light of impossibilities, haunts him while he lives, and 1 fancy, like the con- vulsive throes of the cholera, tor merits him for a brief space after death--is that finally, and in no long time, by some happy coincidence of circumstances, he shall be restored to office. This faith, more than anything else, steals the pith and availability out of whatever enterprise he may dream of undertaking. Why should he toll and moil, and be at so much trouble to pick himself up out of the mud, when, in little while hence, the strong arm of his uncle will rise and support himi Why should he work for his living here, or go to dig gold in California, when he is so soon to be made happy, at monthly intervals, with little pile of glittering coin out of his uncle's pocketi It is sadly curious to ob- serve how slight taste of office suffices to infect poor fellow with this singular disease. Uncle Sam's gold-meaning no disrespect to the worthy old gentleman-has, in this respect, quality of enchantment like that of the devils wages. Who ever touches it should look we'll to himself ,or he may find the bargain to go hard against him, involving, if not his soul, yet many of his better attributes it's sturdy force, its cour- age and constancy, it's self-reliance and all that gives the emphasis to manly character -Hawthorne's pre- face to the Scarlet Letter.