The sun., 1893-03-27
All Honor to the once Seekers.

All Honor to the ONCE Seekers!
wc notice in Republican and Mugwump
Journals tho usual hypocritical and foolish
complaints about tho Importantly OF appii-
cants for Federal Office. Perhaps wc ought
to confine the descriptive adjective "hypo-
critical" 10 the Mugwumps. They are tho
greatest seekers and not the rarcst finders OF
Office in tho country. And perhaps. in con-
nection with this subject, VIC should not
connne tho descriptive adjective foolish"
to the Republicans. At tho beginning OF
Republican Administration Democratic
journals utter the same pale and stale silli-
nesses about Republican candidates for
offico that are now getting uttered by Re-
publican journals. Let us begin with
this palliation OF Republican and Demo-
cratic insincerity or unconscious injustice
In regard to tho Office seekers. All Demo-
Gratis regard with approval Democratic can
Ididates for Federal Office who do not inter-
,fere with their own ambitions or those OF
their friends: and the Republicans regard
with the samo approval Republican Candi-
dates similarly conditioned. In regard to
tho Mugwumps. what need be said or
why answer fool according to his folly?
Still. there are many good and sensible
citizens who repeat unconsciously the Mug
wump mocklng-bird note about the Office
seekers. and persuade themselves without
thought or reason OF even argument that
there Is something deleterious, morally
or politically, in office seeking. and that the
mere term OF Office seeking constitutes or
denotes something to be spoken OF with
contempt and regarded with aversion.
1t seems to us. on the other hand. that
the persons who speak in this unthinking
way OF the aspirations OF any one OF their
countrymen to serve his countrymen in
civil office. are libclling themselves and
their country. We take it that there Is not
one particle OF difference in this respect
between elective and appointive office:
that the difference which separates the am
bltion of the man who seeks the Presidency
from that OF the man who seeks to be Post
master Mt Cullyroads is one Of degree and
not Of kind; and that the one is rs laudable
as the other. Between the political hopes
OF the Hon. GROVER CLEVELAND and Of the
Hon. Pop DIsMUKE. between those OF Gen.
BENJAMIN HARRISON and those Of Col.
APoLLINARIs ANDwIsKT. there Is no philo-
sophical distin ction. 1t is or should be an
honor to serve in the meanest and smallest
office under n Government where every
body is supposed to be eligible to office. and
where the people. as the source OF power.
appoint as well as elect. 1t would be moro
exact to say that under the American frame
OF republican-democratic self-government
no Office can be low or contemplate. Any
American who despises the humblest public
office insults himself and the rest Of the
American people. His own preferences or
convenience may not lead him to choose
public career or to strive or to consent to
hold public office. None the less. he should
respect tho more energetic or the more pub
lic-spirited men who are willing to assume
the share Of honor and responsibility which
his desire for wealth or ease makes him re-
fuse: and the more men display the courage
or the patriotism which he lacks. the greater
should be his respect for them and his pleas
ure In them. Otherwise he despises or fails
to appreciate the value OF virtues which he
does not possess himself. to miss which is u
deprivation to be ashamed Of and not
glory to be boasted Of.
The great majority OF Federal Offices
bring little income to the holders. All
honor. then. to the men who still esteem
1t an honor to hold them. Take the fourth
class Post Offices. for instance. They pay but
little: they crafty no mean desire. That
there arc men willing and anxious to get
public posts whose money value Is incon-
siderable. shows that the sound and patri-
otic conception OF public Office Is still
largely held. and that the sneers OF the
snobs and the Mugwumps have made no
impression upon the American people. In
the early days OF the republic. the most i'm
portant political personages not infre-
quently preferred State to Federal Office;
in these days both services are properly
valued. and so the patriotism of the later
days exceeds that of the earlier.
Lot us cease to admire the chatter of the
popinjays and princoxes, the fools who be-
lieve and the unfortunatcs who think they
believe. that there is any taint OF the rdicu-
lous or the harmful about the men who
seek public honors. The President. the
Senators. the heads OF the departments are
lucky office seekers; and II they so far for
get themselves and their duties as to be
impatient with other Office seekers. sensible
men will not fail to remind them that the
fingers and the hand are in even less favor
able situation for quarrelling with each
other than tho pot and the kettle. When
you read OF the incurslons OF the |
Office seekers" and OF ther" descent" upon
Washington. you read OF something to be
proud Of; you read that thero are still
plenty OF mon alive to their duty and their
glory rs citizens and patriots. Honor to
the ofilce seekers. and confusion to the |
pulling and measly Drigs: the Americans |
ashamed OF themselves
Private Policemen,