The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-22

sioer only the general ethical principles in
VOWED One often promises himself he viii
neep honorable and unselfsh, but fails TO count
sue COST, and gives too much credit to his own
promissory note The excitement of politics il
sometimes very great; one cannot tell always
oy Wnom be is being deceived, decisions must
oi.en % maze suddenly. And thus frequently
u ~ caught before he knows it, and is
ashamed to find himself comnronised There
are many methods of bribery beside hard cash,
Which are more dangerous because less ugly.
mere are many ways of influencing people, that
are neither straightforward In effect nor sincere
IN motive. Then again, when ones name is
umuer consideration for nomination to
once. Ii mistake not, he is expected to make
pledges, especially where the office controls
suoordinate appointments and commissions. /
peneVe tnat candidate ought never to make q
pieoge not already tacitly involved in the &C.
ceptance OF the nomination I know man
VINO could have been governor of a state had he
oeen willing to make pledgss-yes, pledges to
acts which he himself did not oppose, but he
refused and rejected the proposition. such
nonor Is rare enough in politics; but even q
single such act shows that there Is place in poll
tcs tor the best and truest manhood
What has been said this morning has referred
largely to what may be termed the preliminary
poiitics-the politics OF primaries. conventions
and elections. To many this preliminary work
Is the whole OF politics, whereas, in
reality all this Is preliminary to the
higher politics of official service. When
such official position is in turn made the field
OF preliminary politics for reelection or for
some friends benefit, or for some enemy's de.
feat, then OF course ii Is the lowest politica
Only when Office is honorably and uuselfshIy
fulfilled is it the field for the highest politics.
But whether in the field of preparation and
election, or in the field of official service the
eternal laws OF Righteousness are equally applf-
cable as they are everywhere The Golden Rule
mas Its place in politics. No political ethics
'nat is not simply an adaptation of universal
ethics Is good. Such is the inadeq uate political
ethics based on the maxim, "Vox popuh voz Del"
Slne voice OF the people is the voice OF Cody
1his Is not good political ethics, because the
voice OF the peopleis not the voice of God, I'm.
less the people are right.
Again, political ethics based upon the maxim.
Honesty is the best poliey,"is not good This
foundation would not be quite so shaky If policy
We're always honest.
linen there is political maxim which was
pretty good In its original intention, but which
mas caused much wrong: ''The office should
seek the man; not the man the Office" This
popular maxim has had not a little to do in dis
countenancing honest office seeking, and max
ing ofice-seeking underhanded. 1t is all right
Tor the Office to seek the man, but see nothing
wrong in the man seeking the Office. The right
ana wrong OF office-seeking depends entirely
upon the motives OF the office seeker Let it ba
open and dignifed and not materially different
from application for place in business house.
This would apply universally to many pub
lie Offices; and il the fallacy of the
maxim last named were realized it would at
least help do away with the farce often enacted
when candidate cannot find words to express
his surprise when it is officially announced to
him that an office is seeking him or that the
Office has been seeking him and at last found
him. Thus, with inadequate maxims would
men attempt to justify false ethics There is
but one ethics under the sun. Political ethics
are not entitled to special moral legislation.
Legislation is as wrong in ethics as it is in
statute law.
If patriotism is good; If service to our fellow
men Is good, then politics ought to be good, for
politics ought to be both patriotic and able to
serve noble purposes. II in the politics
OF our nation and of our cities
there seems a long space between the stan iards
as they are and the standards as they ought to
be, it is due to the lowness of the lower stand
ards, not the superiority of the higher.
The highest religion, the highest law OF right
eousness and the noblest seif-eonsecration are
not too good for politics. A cloud of witnesses
who have served their country will rise to prove
this to be the truth. OF all these witnesses let
US summon one-the spirit of George Washing
ton. Let us thank God for his birth and his life;
yes, let US even IN our humble way follow his
example.