Morning journal and courier., 1893-11-21
JOSIAH QUINCY,s CASE
Has Psychological as Well as Political
InIeresI


Interest-
From the New York Evening RostI
Why, to take up case which presents
features of Psychological as well &s politi-
cal interest, did Mr.. Josiah Quincy work
for so many years with the pioneers of
civil-servics reform In Massachusetts,, and
then turn out in Office one of tine most un-
blushiDg spoilsmen of the timel 1t lie hard
to believe these men to be the thorough
hypocritss their conduct would argue. We
prefer to think of them as only the vic
tins, like N. Walter. of their own sense of
political importance. This ia a great nov
city for them. For years they have been
battling away ont in the cold, with no
scrubWomsn SO poor as to do them rever-
ence and ask for their Influence" Sud
denly all this is changed. Ward t'heelers"
begin to take of their hsts to them and
ask them to Ego on their papers" They
are called from their dinner tables, some
times from their very bsds, to confer with
candidates for cffice. Statesmen button
hole them on the street and would-be
statesmen bssiege them in their homes. Is
il to be wondered at that this unaccus-
toned temptation should get the better of
them, or that rush of political power to
the head should make them little blind to
the fact that they are doing the very thing
which they have condemned in othsrtl
Mr.. Quincy Dsiyely cobfesses that he has
fallen in just this way. OF course bis talk
about the need of conforming to venerable
party methods" and of using the offices
to "build up the party" is mere vaporing.
No one knows better than he thst the
course he has followed is nicely calculated
to tear down the party, at least In Massa-
chusetts. where his evil influence is most
felt. He has evidence of this already be-
fore him in abundance and will doubtless
be furnished more in course of time. This
Is all beside the mark, and his resi- excuse
for himself Is to bs found In his allusions
to the necessarily different staudpoints oc-
cupied by "mere theorists" and man, Ike
himself. in touch with executive respon-
sibility." There is the nub of the whole
thing. Mr.. Quincy has sil the fat consul
lstes at his disposal and the greatest of the
land on their knees to him Every Msssa-
| chusettes application hRs to have his vice
| on Ii to give 1t half 8 chance. All this in
| wolves sn immense amount of personal
subssrvienee and fattery and II Is no won
der that weak hssds are turned by It. Mr..
| Qaincy's is more deplorahle than NJ. Wal
ter's, but 1t is Of piece with il, sitter all.
as an exhibition OF ridiculous human van
ity.
It may be safd that the outlook for re-
form Is gloomy indeed If so constant an
element of human nature SIS personal van
ity sud fussiness is thus permanently ar
rsyed against IL, even in the csses of its
professsd fiends. This might b. SO were
there not luckily other, snd, in the long
run, more powerful, elements of human
nature fighting on tine opposite side A
puffed up sense of personal importance Is
essentially childish and untutored thing.
A Congo chief with new bale of tTinkets
to distribute may be excused for grinning
with delight at the shject batteries of the
aupplisnts IoE favor who crowd sbJut him.
But civilizSd man puts away such c11l 3ish
thiRgs. TIE ssnEs Of responsibility, h1el-
ity to conviction, love of dscsncy and
honesty, are as trnly elements Of human
nature as in an inflated sense of personal
importance is essentially childish and
uututored thing. A corg1 chief with
new bale of trlnket to distribute may be
excused for erinDing with delight at the
abject batteries OF the Euaplisnts for favor
who crowd sbou. him. Bot the civilized
man puts away such childish thipgs. The
sense of responsibility. fidelity To convic-
tion, love of decenCy and honesty, are as
truly elements of human nature SIS 10 sn in
hstsd sense of personal Importance, and
they are bound in the end 10 make them
selves tell In the conduct of public business
Just ss they do in civ'l'zsd countries, in
private business and private life