Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1900-09-06
CARPETBAG SERMON.
TOO-qua-stee Dilates upon A
Time-wOrn Topic.


bagging.
What we call carpet.ba bagging is,
"The practice of one who has
proved a political deadbeat at
home, and who goes abroad in or
der to get and enjoy the emolu-
ments OF public Office in commun.
titles other than his own"
There are two kinds of carpet
baggers distinguished from each
other by the manner in which they
carry on their work; one may be
properly denominated the private
carpet.bagger, the other the official
carpet.bagger. The former is
private individual who sets out on
his own hook, and, relying upon
his own resources, goes abroad
and undertakes to run the party
caucuses and conventions, and to
shape generally the politics of some
foreign community with a view TO
his own political agrandizement.
The latter is an adventurer who
goes forth from home to run and
manage the public affairs of some
foreign community under an ap-
pointment from the general gov
ernment.
Official carpet. bagging is as an.
cient as imperialism; it is the of.
spring Of conquest and colonial
iion, and follows as closely in the
track OF conquering armies as a
wolf on the heels Of carnage. Inn
perial Rome invented it. For
many centuries her armies were
busted in reducing petty nations,
stalking off provinces, deposing the
native officials, and filling all the
places Of honor, profit and trust
with imperial tools from the licen.
tious purlieus of the Eternal City.
These appointed agents of the em-
pire generally consisted Of one
headman, or inspector general, ,
with a countless pack of tax
gatherers and revenue collectors,
who took occasion to enrich them.
selves by dividing the proceeds Of
their labor between their own
pockets and the home exchequer.
The natives were allowed nothing
to say about the government that
was over them; nothing as to what
should be done with the moneys
wrung from them by the gatherers
aud collectors.
What an archetype OF the Cher
okee nation at the present timel
How history does repeat itself
But Rome finally rotted in the
root and fell.
In this country, prior to the
elecsipn Of Mr.. Mckinley, there
was but little room allowed in our
political system for the practice OF
carpet.bagging Of any kind. A few
territorial appointments, and few
Indian agents constituted the sum
total of this kind of public service;
and these appointments were do
meslic in their nature, and seem
in general to have been justified
by the necessities OF the case. Bot
since the ancient fencing OF the
Monroe doctrine has been broken
down, and Uncle Sam has been in
duced by Republican guile to sail
out pellmell in the wild career Of
imperialism, the jurisdiction OF
the Presidents appointing power
has become, within the short space
Of three years, so enlarged to in
clude territory in all parts Of the
known world. Such collapsed
autonomies as Cuba, Porto Rico,
the Philippines, and the Cherokee
nation have now to be furnished
by the executive hand, with gov
srnors, inspectors, agents, judges,
clerks, district attorneys, marshals
tax gatherers, revenue spies, mas
ters Of education, with commits
sioners numberless in force, and
in variety indescribable. And
word has been recently brought
from the east to the effect that the
emperor of China is a fugitive, and
that his government has collapsed
under the heels Of the allied pow
ers; if this be true, Mr.. Mckinley
will need no further enlargement
to his dumping ground for many
years to come.
The principles upon which these
appointments are made are scarce
ly crediiable to American civiliza.
tion. The native population is
disfranchised, and native men are
ignored. The appointee is gener-
ally imported from some remote
corner Of the political world where
he has attained to some sort OF
distinction for performing some
sort Of unpublished work in the
interest Of the Republican party.
The selection is made without the