The herald., 1898-01-11
Honest Politics
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| Some Of the Republican machine men
are alarmed at the stand against spies ana
traitors taken by the Democracy. 1t Is
usual for the employees of such gentry
to leave them to their fate Of disgrace
| and destruction when caught The briber'
when his agent is discovered. generally
walks off with a shrug and disavows both
agent and act. Such. indeed, has been
the policy of the leading Republican ma
chine men of California in regard to the
discovery and disgrace of the agents en-
ployed by them to betray the Democracy
and the people One or two Of the lesser
Republican machine lights, however. have
been unable to maintain silence on the
loss Of their corrupt agents. Thus these
men have advertised their own interest in
party treason. In defending venal poll
tics and bribe takers they discover their
own disreputable methods or all strange
places to give voice to defense OF polfti-
cal corruption Pasadena is surely the
strangest selection. That the defense OF
machine mon has been indirect and covert
and has built itself upon Misrepresentation
and innuendo is only the old story that
Error must have masks in which to go
abroad. Without some disguise "Error
would be struck down at sight.
The defenders OF machine methods DO
not come out in the open and champion
bribery giving, bargain and sale OF mems
souls or deliberate political betrayals or
the peoples interests. Sometimes they
attack the motives OF those trying for
better and truer standards; sometimes
they start off on some old battle cry to
withdraw the peoples attention from the
real issue. In the last ditch for the defense
of deals and sales of men and office or of
government favor to enrich the designing
and dishonest at public expense, they call
on party fealty" for aid.
This party fealty is the last appeal. 1t
Is the thing which the machine men do
not know and defy when interest serves
Machine politics is solely for plunder.
The political machines are always ready
are always engaged in dickers over the
spoils. The public pays the bills.
The public gets nothing but con-
tempt for paying the eXactions of the poll
ticians. The result of machine methods
in politics Is always costly and inefficient
government. and very often a corrupt and
unjust administration. An inevitable in
cident of this unworthy business is the
degradation and destruction Of men who
would naturally far prefer to give good
service in office. and so come out with the
applause and approval of the public, and
thus stand in their community honored
and respected, rather than betray their
trust and die despised or cursed.
As politics prevail. few men escape the
chine mud. The damned spots will not out
Politics for plunder is a CREASED slide
upon which many and many a good man
steps to find himself, before he knows 1t,
suddenly precipitated into pool OF per-
sonal and political infamy.
Politics in a free country with self-gov-
ernment we must have 1t is the interest
of every citizen individually and of all the
citizens collectively to have a high. manly
and patriotic standard in political affairs
Every American citizen ought to be, and
for the highest interest of his country
must be an active politician. He must take
part In public affairs. The price of liberty
is eternal vigilance. The man who avoids
or neglects his political duties as an Amer
lean citizen because of the disrepute of
politics Is not a good man or good citi-
zen. Such neglect of duty Is what makes
our low and venal political standards pos
sible. The people have at last opened their
eyes to the situation. Everywhere there
is stirring of the American people
against the despots and dictators Of the
ring. The people are at last realizing
the vast cost in money and the vaster
cost in morals of depraved and despica-
BILE slavery to a boss lash in politics. a
lash cracked in self-interest for dishonest
gain, and to enthronc abuse upon the ruins
Of the republic. We have been on the up
grade in politics for some time. While
we have not, perhaps, got up enough to
feel safe, still we can see out. The Aus
tralian ballot, the crimes acts In politics.
new charters for cities on better and
truer lines. and. last the untried pdimary
aw-all these things show we are leav-
ing the low places for higher plane. The
masses OF all the parties In this country
wish, first and last, for the good of their
country An honest difference Of opinion
as to how this is 20 be accomplished ex-
lists, but all the people. In whatever party
are now and always have been for honest
manly patriotic action Our troubles In
the past and our dangers in the present
are due to venal politics. What Is hurt
ing us is the exaggeration and misrepre-
sentation of demagogues and self-seekers
tearing at the foundations of the republic
FOR faction, for Office and for plunder.
oftener than not bluffing this or that
abuser of privilege for blackmail After
all. however it is the betrayal Of public
trust by some officers of the people and
The venal or timid fence-stting imbecility
Of the mass Of public officers, produced
by a bad system and low standards. that
does the most damage. The American peo-
pie are ready to support and to fight for
an honest, conservative and manly stand
in politics. They must do 1t to be saved.
ABBOT KINNEY.
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