The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-03-10
MANKATo FREE PRESS.
FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1893.
ECONOr1Y IN PUBLIC LIFE.

There has been great deal said
about the inability Of certain men
to accept high positions nthe publlc
service at Washington because they
were too poor to maintain the posi-
tion as the public required that they
should. and that therefore only men
of wealth were eligible to such places.
Were this true the public would often
be deprived of the services OF men or
ability who are and cannot be classed
among the wealthy, In this connec-
tiOn it has been many times remarked
lately that Judge Gresham as secreta-
nv of state will introduce reform IN
the methods of official life: that he
is not wealthy and will live within
his official income and by so doing
will set an admirable example for
the future. In commenting upon
this the Chicago Inter Ocean says:
This is in the nature OF rot. LII Is
of no consideration Whatever as 10
whether public man have private
fortune or be dependent on MS
salary. Judge Gresham already mas
held TWO places in the Repuollcan
Cabinets. He lived then just as he
will probably live while no!dlng IKE
Mace in a Democratic Cabinet-that
Is TO say, prudently and according TO
his means. If there be rich men in
Mr.. Cleveland's Cabinet they Will
spend laviShly, as will be proper. II
there be poor men they Will spend
cautiously. :
There has been a vast amount OF
nonsense printed during the past Few
years as to how it is needful TO spenu
more than the salary of the public
office ito maintain its dignity. line
dignity is in the office itself, not In
the frillS that may be MADE 10 encoIn-
PASS it. Some among the most dis
Jinguished statesmen or tnls country
have lived very plain when IN ONCE.
Some of the very famous statesmen
OF Europe live very plainly Mt Glad
stone does. When Palmerston was
Premier his receptions and dinners
were famous for their elegance ana
costIiness. but PalmerStOn and his
wife had rent rolls that aggregated
100000 a year. Gladstone and his
Wll6 nave lcSS lIdu UhoH. w hS' VIZ
they live plainly, and therefore the
Palmerstons lived otherwise than
plainly. But the moderate circum-
stances of Gladstone's financial posi-
tion in no way affect his usefulness
and renOwn as a public servant. Near
ly all the high officers of Italy and
France are poor. Those of them who
are rich entertain literally, those who
fniv n q "
a matter of 10 import.
Judge Gresham, though not rlcn In
the Vanderbiltan sense of the word.
is very far from being Door IN the pro-
letarian sense. He is comfortably"
fixed. But, really, his finances are
not to be considered in connection
with his public life. That is to be
measured by his fulfillment Of public
duty, not by his domestic eXpendi-
lures. 1t is demagogic untruthful-
ness that seiZeS the Gresham incident
as occasion for insinuatiOn that pub
lie office hitherto has been a perQulS-
ite of the rich. 1t has not. Neither
in Western Europe nor in America
has wealth been the key that unlock
ed the gates of Office. They are un-
locked by skill, and by it alone. Ii
man be able and rich his riches do
not count against him, if he be able
and poor his poverty is not consider
ed. A man is placed In Cabinet to
give strength to it. and riches OF them
selves do not give strength to such a
nOSitiOn