The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1905-11-09
Origin Of 'Publie Office
Public Trust

30 O. +. ....e .al..a
The editor Of Harper's Weekls Is IN
a peck Of trouble, and all because be
undertook to locate the originator OF
the phrase ga public ofice is public
trust ~
lIarper's identified the ma me of the
late Daniel s. Lamont with the
phrase under discussion, but being
called to account by one OF Its readers.
said:
We did not say that Colonel Lamont
was the author Of the phrase "Publlc
Office Is a public trust only that he
adapted 1t to fitting use In a Cleye-
land campaign. The originator, we
believe, was the late Governor Hugh
5. Thompson, Of South Carolina who
hrst employed the expression In his
Inaugural address In 1882.
A ST. Paul, Mimi, reader OF Harp
er's replying to this latest editorial
declaration, asys:
Daniel Webtser, In a spe ech In the
Odeon, BOSTON 20 years ago, said:
1T Is time to declare that Offices ere
ated ior.the people are public trusts,
not private spoils. ~ Volume !, Works
OF Daniel Webster p. 335. IL may be
that the governor OF South Carolina
and Colnel Lamont drew their In
spiration from the same source.
The man who undertakes To name the
originator OF the phrase Puplic ONCE
Is public trust has assumed large
task. In attributina the origin to
Governor Thompson, OF South Caro-
lima, liarper's Weekly does not touch
the mark. Governor Thompson used
II In 1852, perhaps Just as Ahram s.
Hewitt did In 1883 or Daniel s. La
mont in 1884, as phrase which had
become so general as to Justify Its use
without quotation marks.
Dorman u. Eaton, New York
lawyer, who became widely known by
his advocacy OF civil service reform
I pc11Am le@1y IRA public Offices ara
10 p0hlic tfuat, {" Nh = Ious go =
t1onyExm72. chsrles sonnes NO.
= u bhFsss 'poh,lc ollIes 6<pe y
trust has of late b@spQDs conui
property" 80 80 -
The st. Paul reader Of Hafpo4N
correctly says that Daniel Webster
declares ut is time to declare that
offices created for the people are pub
lie trusts, not private spoils." Mr..
Webster delivered that speech Octob-
er, IL 1896. But on February -, 1888,
John G. Calhoun said: THE very
essence OF free government consists
In considering ofiices as public trusts
bestowed for the good OF the country,
and not for the benefit OF an individ.
ual or party" So the phrase GER
tainly did not originate with Web
ster.
Neither did II originate with Cal
houn, because years before. Burke, IN
his address on the French Revoln-
ton, said: ITO execute laws Is "A
royal ONCE: TO execute orders Is not
to be a king. However political ex'
ecutiye magistracy, though merely
such Is a great trust" In the same
address Burke said: 'All persons
possessing any portion OF power ought
to be strongly aud awfully impressed
with an idea that they act In trust,
| and that they are TO account for tbcil
conduct la that trust 10 the one erea,
Master, Author and Founder OF so
ciety." In the same address Burks
said: I'm their nomination 70
Office they will not point TO the
exercise OF authority as TO pitt
full job, but AS to holy function. T"
Thomas Jefferson In 1907 said
"When man assumes a public trust
he should consider himself as publ,
property
, But among the claims with respect
to the origin OF this phrase, those o
Matthew Henry are 10. TO he entirel'
ignored. Matthew Henry was Brit
lsh divine, who died IN i7I4. III
published commentary upon the oil
and new Testaments. In the thirt
4. chapter OF the tirst Epistle to Tim
, otby, referring to the qualifications o
! deacons, as well as OF bishops, IL 1
! said land let these, also, first b
proved. 4" Commenting on this Mat
thew Henry said cit is not lit tina
the public trusts shold be lodged Il
the hands OF any till they have beef
irst proved and found 1T for the bus
iness they are TO he entrusted with.
Clearly the phrase did not originate
/. as Hsrper's Weekly says 1t did, will
8 the governor OF South Carolina, no
n as the st. Paul reader says will
Webster.
or course, the exact origin Is no
OF the greatest In portance, but IL !
good sign that public interest ba
been aroused In phrases OF this sort
aud whether II comes Ia the words o
e Matthew Henry, Of jefferson, c
g Burke. OF Calhoun, OF Webster o
}, men OF more recent days IL Is partic
ularly important at this time tha
, eIector and elected understand that
A as Disraeli put IL IAN power is
!. trust, and we are accountable for 10
exercise. "--Commoner
-