The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-08-20
w. c. u. COLUMN
CONDUCTED BY MRS. NJ. L. HOBBS.


election OF good man TO oflice,
with bad political party behind
him, is apt to result even worse than
the election of a bad man, with a
lhalf-decent political party behind
him.
1t seems that the bad man, TN
der such circumstances, tries 10 be
better than he was, to the expect a
tions of those who elected him; but,
unfortunately, the good man elected
by a bad party becomes worse than
he was for the same reason. The
bad man appears to become ashame ed
of his badness, while the good man
acts as if he was ashamed Of his
former goodness. For which feel
sorry, and wish it was otherwise
But | have to take things as | find
them.
Some of the best men with whom
| have been acquainted have disap-
pointed me when the people elected
them to official positions. And
some of the worst men have so act
ed, after the people have promoted
them, that have felt called upon
to write them a personal letter OF
thanks.
The city of Brooklyn, where |
lived SO many years, selected time
and again for the Office ci mayor
men that were shining lights in the
church and in every good movement.
Much was expected of them; but
they all left the mayors chair less
respected than when they took Of
flee. Some were Republicans and
some were Democrats, but their po-
Ilitical views did not seem to make
any difference, as they proved them
selves to be mere tools in the hands
of the machines that made them.
Not long since | asked respect
able man why men should so act
after being elected that good men
were ashamed of them, and the
reply was, "If they acted any other
way they could never be re elected. y
am free to make this assertion,
that the city of Brooklyn has never
yet elected real bad man to the
mayorality; on the contrary,
mayors have been men who were
highly respected. Yet they could
hardly have acted worse if they had
been educated and brought up
among the lowest elements of the
city. And the same is true of other
cities, with but few exceptions.
The effect of this state of things
upon my own mind is, that pay
very little heed to the statement
that a candidate for any office is a
noted good man. What | feel to be
most important is to know whether
the organization which nominated
him is a good one or not.
When a BOY | wrote an article in
the Evening Star that resulted in
the nomination of my Sunday
school superintendent for promi
nent official position. | had no
idea but what he would prove the
model official. But he never was
the same good man after that but
sank to the level Of his party; and
lif l must tell the truth, sank even
below the moral standard OF those
who nominated him. And | could
relate score of such cases without
trying hard to think up past events.
A good man is generally good on
Ily so long as he goes with the good
men and keeps away from those
who are bad.
Politics, as rule, will knock
whatever is good out of man.
Well do | recollect when the Demo
Gratis nominated a noted Sunday
schoo! superintendent Of Brooklyn
for Member Of Congress. How Of
ten had / heard his sweet voice in
sacred song! And times without
number | had heard him carry the
people with him to the throne Of
grace. But the night he was nomi
mated, with my own eyes | saw the
members Of his political party carry
him on their shoulders, and place
him on the bar of the "Senate" sa-
loon; and there, surrounded by
hundreds Of glasses that were used
for drinking purposes, he made a
speech thanking the Democratic
party for the nomination. And the
lonly "amens' were drinks all
|around. If | live t. be one hundred
Years old | shall never forget that
|humiliating sight. 1t made The
Iirst impression upon me that good
men could not afford to be mixed
up in bad politics.
Here is another instance: ! once