Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-05-25
HONESTY IN POLITICS.


idea of American politics wholly from
what ho reads in the organs of tho
various parties, our political system
must seem perfect maelstrom Of all
that is corrupt and vile. No matter
which way or whittier he turns in his
search for information on this subject
he is confronted with labored editorials
in papers big and little, all breathing
the same fetid story of corruption,
trickery, bribery, treason and every
thing in fact that is polluting, until,
if he is a sensible man, he must of
necessity conclude there can be no
such thing as honesty in American
politics.
The calm. thinking American citizen
must look on this condition of affairs
with regret, because he we'll knows,
despite the apparently valid reasons
for the formation of this impression,
it is false-false as the reasons given
him for its formation. Notwithstanding
the fact that the political editorial
writers of today, in an overwhelming
majority, seem to have struck vein
wherein politics and corruption arc
synonyms, the American citizen knows
that there yet remains honesty, and
plenty of it, in American politics. The
trouble in this matter is that the
public opponents of our political
system do not appreciate that system
at its true worth. In many, perhaps
in most, instances, they cannot.
Reared in a school where office seek
ing, trickery, scheming for self and
pelf, have usurped the place of honest,
straightforward political principle,
they know nothing of the latter, and
hence are not much to be blamed for
finally believing that the former en-
brace everything there is in politics.
From their standpoint men, not princi-
pies, constitute the acme of politics.
The man with the pull" is the one
methods by which he obtains and re-
tains his PULL" or of the end toward
which he is aiming. Sufficient for
these henchmen is it to know that he
has what they term the ''pull," and
through that "pull' the power to
bestow emoluments and favors. The
machine politician does not advocate
principles in politics, nor honest senti-
ment either, for both these elements
are Numerically opposed to the
methods which he uses to retain his
hold on office or position, and as he
has no use for them and desires to
keep them in the background as much
as possible, his organs and his editorial
| OlRftulSto Stlbu oub JULIUS WiolOih bhCpo
elements have no abiding place.
Thus it has come to pass that in a
large majority of cases the political
writers of today ignore real, genuine
politics, even while protesting to dis
cuss them, and parade before their
readers instead a hybrid deooction of
means and methods made to order at
| the behest of some individual or ring,
and try to palm it off as political dis
cussion.
So common has this insidious method
of Misrepresentation become that every
State in the Union is cursed with it.
Here in Delaware its baneful influence
has been felt for some time. The day
was when politics and political affairs
in this State were discussed in the
journals of the State in manly,
straightforward manner, when honest
methods and honest men were endorsed;
tricksters and dishonesty denounced
without fear or favor, no matter what
their party profession. Purity aud
cleanliness in the political system of
the State were aimed at and men and
methods were compelled to measure up
to these standards to secure endorse
ment. And they did it.
A retrospective glance at the list of
men who were selected to represent
Delaware and her public trusts and
upon whom were conferred political
honors substantiates the truthfulness
of this assertion. They were men of
honor, of ability, with whom public
office was a public trust, and who re-
garded public honor as sacred as
though it were individual. Modern
machine methods had no place in their
politics, and represented by such men
the voters of the State had no use for
and would not tolerate the trickster.
No trickster or political trimmer could
in those days sufficiently cloak his real
self to prevent the voter from pene-
trating his disguise. The bribed and
the briber were almost unknown and
men and parties won or lost on their
merits The politics of the State were
healthy, and its political atmosphere
pure. Ability, honesty and integrity
were the requisites to political success
and no man or party could or did sue
coed without them. This is in no wise
an overdrawn or exaggerated picture of
, Delawares political history. The men
who made il may not be here. Many
of them are not, but they left 1t as a
heritage to the citizens, the voters Of
Delaware.
. Democrats of Delaware, how have
we priced that heritage? 1t is ours
yet. We may for the time nave ignored
: the teachings of the fathers of our
party; but they are still extaut, we
, know them. 1t is not too late yet to
profit by them. Shall we apply them
now when our State and our party
heed them, is a question for US to
decide. Yes, there's honesty, there's
recttude, there's manhood in politics
yet. We of Delaware know it. The
true elements may have become slightly
coated with the mildew of indifference
and carelessness, but they are there.
, A little active interest will bring them
to the surface. We have the principles,
We have the men, we should have the
glorious ambition to redeem our State,
, to wipe the blot from off its shield placed
there because of our lethargy. Are not
these incentives sufficient to waken
every Democrat in Delaware to action,
to send the blood coursing through his
!, veins anew?
There's honesty in politics Honesty
j, in Delaware politics. Plenty of it.
! And it must be brought to the surface
:. and kept there by the party which pro-
, poses to win.