The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-27
G)OO MEN IO BLAME
For Bad Government, Says
John ]. ingalls,.
WORST CITIZEN Is HE.
Who Is Too Good to Vote and
Run for Office.

LET All Good Men Seek Office" writes
John j. ingalls, in the New York Journal
saying;
This perpetual ceaseless whining and
la-nentaion. and weeping, and gnashing
OF teeth about bad government ard the
corruption Of American politics is weari-
ness to TIE flesh.
4 The people Of the United States, in
every locality, have as good government
| as they deserve, and whether good OF
bad, pure or corrupt, it is Of their own
| choice, which they can change at will.
| If in any community taxes are exces-
sive. revenues squandered, officials dis
honest, 1t is the fault of the people
| There are in every state more honest,
| Upright men than knaves and scoundrels.
| Honor and integrity are in the majority
| everywhere If they chose to assert them
| selves.
| Tho incredible rottenness and polluted
| putrefaction of municipal affairs in New
| York City; the shameless robbery and
| plumber of its imperial resources by an
organization that enr4ches its leaders by
| levying contributions upon gambling
dens, 5rothels and dives, dance houses,
Dunco shops and saloons; its police that
Is in lucrative collision with the criminal
Classes and the beasts of prey; its nasty
| theater. where professional harlots pcr-
tray II applauding audiences the foulest
details OF prostitution, lust and adultery
-aH this ree1ing, fend and fostering su-
" I h.
cence Of the churches. the liberation Of
Erworth league and Young Mens Chris
tjan ASSOCIATIONS, the consent OF the NOR
a.. religious and educated classes, who.
for one reason and another, omit and
neglect. or decline and refuse, 10 dis
charge their political duties as American
citizens.
In popular representative democracy,
based on universal suffrage, every man
ought % be a politician. Not IL the rar-
row and resII.tted sense Of as oirrng to
official station. hut in the broader view
Of taking an active, constant ana inte.!i-
gent inte-esr IN public affairs
And not only should the citizen be a
politician, but ne should be a partisan,
also.
Political rai lies are groups in the state
composed Of these who hold siznller
views abnu: Itblic questions, and every
man should ally and actively identity
mself with that party which is .,Sarast
in accord with his own convictions a to
the policy of TIE state. Habit, tenrerq-
ment and hel City have much to 10 with
party affiliations. 1t is not a mattsr Of
morality. but Of inclination and expedi-
nf hff,o r.
and unjust than the attempt Of auv eli
zen because he is. a populist, or a demo-
crat. or repL blIoan, but both are open
to question Il he be neither the one nor
the other.
And man should belong TO a party
not a little and once in a while, 5u.
great deal and all the time; not alone
on election day, but every day in the
year.
He who, upon the pretext of business,
or disgust or Incidence. or indifference,
keeps away from the primary, the regis
tration Office. the convention and the
polls, is the worst enemy Of good gov
eminent. These duties must be per-
formed, and if good men don't, pad men
Will. II seems like paradox 10 say that
the worst evils of society are due TO the
delinquency of its better elements, but it
is true, They are directly responsible
for the conditions they denounce and
affect 10 depiore. Instead of blaming
institutions, they schould reproach them
selves
The inevitable corallary of universal suf-
frage is holding office This government
is not automatic. It cannot run itself.
There must be presidents. and governors.
and senators. and Representatives, and
judges, and ambassadors. and postmas- |
ters. and Indian agents. and clerks, and |
janitorS. Whom shall these be? There |
is no office-holding class. There are no |
hereditary legislators. The divine right OF |
kings has been. abolished The oil OF |
has not been poured on any |
citizen. These places are lucrative. They |
ara honorable. They must be filed by |
somebody. They do not require the pos
session OF extraordinary faculties nor IN /
usual powers. There are scores Of men |
in every state in the union who would /
make good presidents Why should not /
any OF them aspire? Admiral Dewey, |
who has examined the constitution and |
the laws and the political history and |
Institutions OF his country since his mar
riage, and Is therefore entitled TO be con-
sidered an expert, announces that the !
presidential office requires no qualifca-
tons above those Of a so clerk in a cor
ner grocery. and that he himself has the
same right to De a candidate as some
Of the clowns who are ambitious for the
Good men ought TO seek Office. The
more the better. The wider the range %
selection the less chance OF mistake. Il
S duty they owe 10 society. 10 them
selves and 10 the political system OF
which they are compliments Il a man
: fitted by age talents and experience
'or legislative, judicial OF executive func-
tons, his ambition for office is honorable
ind prasseworthy. The idea that there
$ something imn0dest and injecorcus
about seeking cffNce. like : girl proposing
marriage 10 the man she loves. and that
he aspirant must wait I'll be IS asked.
Ind shipper. and gigEle. and be COY, IS
,ased on entire misrepresentation q the
meaning o. popular self-g5yernmeut. n
which there = neither privilege nor caste
Tor prescription
I; is seldom that one citizen towers 50
over al competitors in
,ubIic estimation. ike Bryan among
democrats. or Mckinley among republic
ms. as 70 exclude rivalry. Ordinarily
Ne choice lies among many and the
,eopIe profit BY tne emulation. Nc 6oub-
: would be better were every Official in !
he public service, from president down.
n educated gentleman. trained for tho
ie-fOxr1ance Of his duties bat this Is 10. ;
nc theory % our political system L =
.os a government, Of scholars and saints