Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-07-02
office-t,oIders And The Party.

Ifa Republican holds city. or dis
trict OF county or State Office he is
all right, and can go to conventions
and work all he pleases. But If he
gets into a post Office or some Federal
position he at once becomes the en-
envy of the Republican party and has
no right to even say he is a Republi-
can or to exercise any Of the political
rights OF Republican So when we
speak with scorn of the office holders
it must be understood that it is not
the city, nor district, nor county, nor
State Office. holder, but Uncle Sam s
office holders to whom we refer All
of the Office holders from city, county
and State are urged to turn out and
exercise their influence in getting good
tickets nominated. But don't let a
Federal office holder say his soul is
his own It's a distinction that
"nust" be observed. Don't exclude
from the party councils the district or
county officers, be they school trus
tees, road overseers, deputy this or
that. school teachers or even higher
officials. But watch the fourth class
postmaster, who handles your mail
and draws princely salary from Uncle
Sam. He is a "bad" man political.
ly and though you have known him
all your life and like him, he is now
traitor to your party And especial
ly keep your eye on all who work for
Uncle Sam. They are not to be
trusted. They want to see their par
ty defeated so they be turned out Of
office and therefore they would advise
nominating the weakest men if you
listened to them What Federal
office holder wants and yearns for is
the defeat of his own party and the
chance to become a private citizen
again. So, dear Republican readers,
when the fellow with the axe to grind
comes to you and talks about office
holders and bossism get him to say
which kind he means. The only real
patriots are the men who denounce
office Holding, when they are not in
it.
We are afraid that the rule against
office holders, however, ought to be
applied to all kinds of ofhce-holders
and all their relatives, also, to the
remotest degree; to all their acquain-
tances and friends, also. The man who
likes an office holder and respects his
Judgment is not to be trusted. Let's
have a convention without a district,
county, city, State or national Office
holder in it, and none of their rela-
tives or friends. Let us "bar out
every man who fills an office of any
sort, or ever did or ever expects to.
Then we will have the ideal conven-
ton and party council. 1t will do
the things that ought to be done and
thus continue in Office the party and
its office-holders. That would be
serving the office holders more gener-
ously than they deserve. We confess
we can't quite reconcile ourselves to
that.
The sensible thing to do would per-
haps be to treat every Republican as
having equal rights and an equal
interest in party councils and success.
There should be no barriers to the
fullest exercise of political equality OF
all members of political organiza-
ton. But how can we reconcile such
fair play ideas and equal rights with
the demagogue's howl about office
holders ? That's where the trouble
comes in. Right is wrong, if you
listen to the political cross-eyes. The
office, holderis frequently man whom
his neighborS respect. Not all ottlce-
holders are bad men. But every
man who bowls against office holders
taking part in party councils is not a
saint, either. We guess the Republi-
cans of Wood county have the good
sense to see through the pretences oil
the pretenders who claim all party
wisdom for themselves. At any rate
the fuller and freer and more universal
the participation of all in party coun
ellis, the better and stronger is tie
party. State Journal.
The Statesman is terribly out o
humor because Senator Elkins oppos
ed the Chiffon amendment to tax the
gross receipts of corporations. II our