Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-08-23
HONEST AND DISHONEST POLITICS

HONEST AND DISHONEST POLITICS
Dishonesty does not OF necessity
consist exclusively in the performance
of some overt or covert act known
to be opposed to ju8t dealing; 1t may
bo and often Ia the creation OF tht
mind and finds no physical expression
at all. The person who makes al
effort to conjure up an improper
motive for = proper sct, or who reiusei
10 give proper credit for things dont
because 1t suits him better not to do 80
10 Just as dishonest in his heart III
though he bad stolen pccEeibook
perhaps more go, because the theft IL
the latter case may be the act OF one
who Is driven 10 desperation and II
against the promptings OF his nature,
Not so in the other case. The Of
fender has judgment, experience and
the benefit OF surroundings which ara
a constant reminder 10 him that this
proper course Is as plain as day, yet
deliberately chooses the by and forbid
den path and seoks TO induce others to
walk therein.
In no other pursuit OF mankind is so
much Of the latter variety OF dishones-
W engaged In ss In that OF partisan
politics. Those who seek the better
side Of II in all cases and refuse TO nc.
cept OF the bad In order thereby that
they may obtain some good, are Carl
ostu!ed, nisrepresented and even re-
viled because, forsootb, spme merely
factional gain Mt the expense OF the
body polite lie hoped for by 80 doing.
The independent voter 10 everywhere
an object OF rsvilement by the clans.
men, and yet we are always able TO
zee that in that very class is the intel
ligent and conservative element
which Ia as essential to political lie as
are the courts to judicial life. R,nk
partyiRm uBbridled and unchecked
leads to hatred, this to division anu
division to war, as was amply shown
In the history OF the United States the
few years following 1850. Those who
counseled moderation and deplored
the lengths to which party striies were
being carried, were imbeciles, dema-
goeuss, Phatisees, and even traitors,
according to the pattisans, whose
dictionary OF abusive and die
honest invective is invariably drawn
upon to the utmost extent when op-
position TO factional raid upon the
peoples best Interests is being carried
out.
No matter. AT such a time there
should be NO faltering. The citizsn
who deems it his fret duty to protect
and promote the welfare OF all cissses
without regard to divisions OF any
character can afford to be misrepre-
ssnted ard mallgned, because he
knows hs ia right, and win maintain
his position all the more firmly be-
cause Of the unJus, and unmsnly con.
hiot waged upon him and his sssool-
ntes.
Shakespeare wrote, "Ba as pure
as Ice, as chasle aA show,
and you shall not escape
oslHmny." But that furnishes no
reason for ceasing 10 BIO ms upright and
impartial as We can. II n number
pervsrt and misIeptesent, Ia order that
thrift may follow or for any other
reason. there still remains no justif.
cation for the others doing negatively
what the number do positively, thatis
virtually to concede that straighl
course between tive points ia not the
shortes. way by abandoning 1t.
Those who have arrRyed themselves
agsins, the non.pRrtiSan plan of CON-
trolling this municipality, or at least
their spokesman, have made the as
Eertion and repeated 1t many times
that tho movement has In view
the furthsrsnoe Of political
organizations interests that last year
happened to be In the minority. This
has been TeIuted and ID reiuted con-
tlnually by plain facts anu ordinary
logic, IN tho tiTst place the character
and the standing OF tao men engaged
In the movement ought to be, even to
the most II famed partisan, evidence
in rebut,al; then the fact that the non
partisan element ~ composed Of men
Of ell shades OF political belief, men
who believe they should be found In
such calling because the times and
emsuu II, ought coun
for somethil G; the additional lac! that
not one Of these men asks
ior or expects nomination TO any
position Whatever, o: would under
any kind OF persuasion accept one,
should have wsighG aud finally, the
fact which cannot be lodged by
strategy or d mme6 by sophislry Is
before US all here ia absolutely
othing political In the contest and
no amouIt OF ingenuity can show that
Ihere Is any, and this might be taken
among the reasoning az the only