Middletown transcript., 1896-05-23

they are opposed. The same thing ais
characterizes the public work of our legi
lative bodies. Too often the great questie
in Congress and our legislators is not VIII
measures are for the good of the who
people, but what will help the party
The righteousness or unrighteousness
proposed legislation is not seldom r
garded as being of less consequences tha
its bearing on the next election. The go
erning principle in much of our politi.
and craftsmanship is selfshness in its loy
est form. Personal and party ambitio
have usurped the place Of patriotism an
religion. Man shall not live by brea
alone,n says Christ. Man shall live b
bread alone, says the party Caesar, and s
questions of taxation and currency al
given precedence over ethical considers
tions which are for the real welfare of til
people. Money is of no more consequence
than manhood, and immediate success ou
ranks righteousness in the estimation {
tho average politician. This degradatio
of the national life is too often promote
and furthered by Christian men who len
themselves to these party contests, and n
fuse to raise the higher questions of ten
perence, the Sabbath, public education
marriage and divorce, pure elections and
free ballot, and that which is fundamenta
to them all, the authority Of the Lore
Jesus Christ as the actual sovereign of th.
nation. The need for Christian polite
was never greater than it is to-day, and al
good men should strive to make the tern
familiar to American ears.
2. A second evil imposed upon us by the
party Caesar is official incompetence and
dishonesty. Party interests being supreme
the man who best serves the party is sup
posed to be best qualified for Office. There
have always been trifers and pretenders
and self-seekers, as well as patriots and
statesmen, in American public life. But
the great majority of the fathers were sages
and men of highest principle. Most of the
members ofthe first Continental Congress
were worthy of unstinted praise. The men
who framed the Constitution were, with
very few exceptions, the peers in intellect
and unselfish devotion of the best states
men of the greatest nations, in their most
exalted periods. There are noble minded
and pure hearted men in places of authority
now. Cabinet, Congress and Legislature
hava in fhan, n n n ~, ar IF al, r;st;,, ~
acterS whose hands never hold bribe, whose
cheeks are never flushed with intoxicationg
whose lips never burn with blasphemies
or blacken with lies; men whose voices are
always raised against the wrong and for
the right. But it must be admitted that
the majority of those who now fill places
Of influence and authority are anything but
statesmen in the breadth of their concep-
lions, in the dignity of their personal CON
duct, or in the purity of their motives.
They are politicians, place seekers; policy,
not principle, the manipulation of men,
and the polls, is their chief
thought and aim. Not what is right and
but what is expedient, and
likely to succeed, is their concern. We
produce great inventors; I'VE have finan-
'ial and industrial leaders in abundance;
We haye political managers in oyerabun-
lance, but there seems to be pause in the
production of leaders in craftsmanship. ~
There are still some statesmen-a very few
lin the United States Senate, and some,
perhaps in the House, and here and there
n the States are men who in the elevation
# their aims, methods and personal power,
over above the intreaguers by whom they
re surrounded. But there never has been
time when men of breadth and purity
hrank from political life as they do to-
ay; never time when the friends of a
ian of worth and intelligence found it SO
ard to secure the recognition of his merits. |
his is because fitness for office is not the |
rimary question, but How much has the |
ian done for the party?" How much of a |
ull has he?'' How much money can he
ive?" Few men of moderate circumstances
IN be nominated for high position. The
nited States Senate is rapidly becoming
ub of miltionaires. Money is the controIl-
g factor in elections. Forty years ago
brahamLincoln said:"This country cannot
'ntinue part slave and part Free" It is
'rfectly clear to-day that our nation can
,t long endure if our representatives are
be men whose highest qualification is
'e possession of wealth. secured by fair
cans or by foul. American liberty can
IT live where money is supreme. lfa
an has no other merit than money it is
anne for him to seek position, and men
sgrace themselves who follow him. 1t is
sin for man to be ignorant Of pEar-
acy, but it, being ignorant, he presumes to
prescriptions, and thus trifies
th human life his sciolism high, handed
avery. 1t is no crime for man to be
norant of machinery, or of the rules |
llch govern thu running of railroad
aims, but if. being ignorant of engines
d schedules, he attempts to pilot a
ssenger train, then the blood OF those c
10 are killed and mangIed in the inevita-
wreck is on his skirts. There are mem i
re is one man in particular-desiring to i
sineer our State and National affairs q
Lhout having the first element of fitness.
when such men seek for place and win
whether by the vile means they usually 9
pioy, or without them, they commit Q
me against God and against man. p
*James Russell Lowell. !
But there is that which is worse than !,
tisaiiisrn and Incompetence. :
Bribery; bribery, with all its attendant :.
noralization, is becoming more and more : !
opular method with the party Caesar. J,
ney is the sinews of war, we are told. It !
! come to be considered the very life :
Cd Of practical politics. Political bribes :.
nerly took the shape of preferment of
&c. IF you do SO and so, you shall have
md So" But now men are nominated !"
supported for Office solely with refer Z
to the amount of cash they can put :, :,
} the contest The old plan was bad =,
ugh, the new one is worse. The exis- :.
se Of large class of people ready to
chase votes, and of larger class ready
ell votes, is the most significant and
nous sign Of the times. tits a fact to
Use peril no honest, patriotic citizen can