The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1894-09-13
/. ONCE Seeking.

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EDITOR ADVANCE: The political
parties have chosen their candidates
for the several county Offices, and
now there will be short respite: be
fore the fierce conflict that is sure to
come later. Let nst improve the short
lun in the battle sby taking 4 a55quiet
survey II the tented field 81 strife.s
What is the cause of all this conn
motion? We suppose that if every
|oneIwould2be as honest as one Of the
candidates for nomination, they would
tell us, asshe did, that they want the
Offices for what there is in them. And
we do not think that man need be
ashamed tossay this. To many men
the Offices are worth something, { in a
financial point ofSyiew, and il is just
as right and proper for man to seek
to advance his interests by serving
the public, as blythe judicious man
agement of his own private affairs;
provided always, that he seeks this
advancement in an honest and hon
orable way, and in halfway only. We
think it is right that the services rem
dered the public should be paid for
literally; enough 50 that men who
are qualified to serve the public eff
GENTLY may see in these Offices some
thing worth striving for. Work for
which there is poor pay, is almost
sure to bepoorly done. It is right
that we should pay our public SER
wants we'll, and then we may Justly
hold them to strict account, and in
sist that the service rendered shall be
as good as the pay.
But many, again, seek these Offices
for the honor rather than for any
money value in them; indeed too many
men who aspire to Office, the Offices
if secured can be of no advantage to
them in pecuniary sense. None of
us are altogether insensible to the
esteem and goodwill of our neigh
bors and the public; and with many
the desire to be honored by their fel-
low citizens, to be looked up to, is the
ruling passion of their lives.
| And we must say that we rather
like to see something of this spirit.
While we have no objection to a mans
seeking to furtt e. his own personal end
by filing some remunerative office
yet when he is impelled by this self
fish feeling and by this only, we can
not feel for him that esteem that we
have for the man who seeks an office
not alone for the money there is in it,
but, partly at least, from desire to
still further heighten the esteem Of
his fellow citizens by showing them
how we'll he can serve them.
Among the defeated candidates
there are those, no doubt, who feel
bitterly disappointed; and yet, per
haps, they are the fortunate ones.
Many man, we feel sure has been
permanently injured by having had
the misfortune to be elected to some
country office. With some, at least
the holding Of Office seems to unfit
them for anything else, and when
thrown out of office they are entirely
at loss what to do. These Offices
bring little ready cash, which seems
to come easily; habits the opposite of
frugality are apt to be formed; the
selfreliant feeling SO necessary to the
fullest success becomes dulled be-
cause not called into play; and ere
long the office holder finds that if de-
prived of his office he is much better
fitted to spend money! than to earn it..
Seeming success is not always the
best fortune. We have known those
who have held office for years, and
who have finally, and much against
their will, been ousted, and so have
been compelled to plan, and shift and
fight their way independent of any
one; and in after years they have had
to thank the supposed i.l-fortune that
left them stranded, and without visi-
bic means Of support. There is a
danger when serving the public that
we may cease to be self-reliant, yet in
the way of feeling that we wish to
lean on somebody for support. in
stead of standing proudly erect like
men, and fighting life's battle I'M
aided. Shakespeare has said: "Sweet
| ,ro fhot,,cac of a1verSifv which, like