The Irish standard., 1906-12-15
POPULAR PHRASES
4 Faithful Attempt to Simplify
s.y,s:. American History.
Tracing Some Of the Most Noted
is Quite Difficult.


*s' The last issue Of The connmoner con-
tains the following interesting article
from Richard L. Metcalfe:
Writing in the North American Re-
view, Professor Brander Matthews at
tributed to Thomas B. Reek this ye-
mark: 'When DR.. Johnson defined
scoundrel he did not foresee the inf1n-
lite possibilities Of the word reform :"
Professor Matthews is a member Of
a. committee which has undertaken eto
"simplify' American spelling. and the
New York World intimates that the
professor is DESTROYS Of simplifying
American history, too" because he ar-
trib,ited to Thomas r. Reed a remark
which the World says was made by
Roscoe Conkling. According to the
World:
",rhe remark was made by Conklfns
in q speech at the republican state
convention in Rochester, September
s6, 1877. Platt, who was not yet SEN
ator but already one of Conklinss
handy errand boys, acted as temper
airy. chairman of the convention, and
i'll his speech attacked the Hayes adj
old. The resolutions drafted by Conk
ling contained no Endorsement OF the
president or his policies. On the floor
Of the convention George William Cur
It's offered an amendment to the res
olutions declaring that Hayes title to
his seat was as regular as Washing
toms and commanding the administra-
ton. 1t was in answer to Curtis
speech that Conllling delivered the
masterpiece of classical scurrility in
which the remark occurred with Prof.
Matthews undertakes to quote: when
DR.. johnson defined patriotism as the
last refuge of a scoundrel he was I'M
conscious of the then undeveloped ca
FATALITIES and uses Of the word re
FORM
Maybe Mr.. Conlxling got his idea
from statement made by Charles t.,
who said public reforrners had need
first practice on their own hearts that
.ers."
1t is not always an easy task to To-
cate the origin of a popular phrase
and many amusing and easily ex-
planned errors are made we'll informed
men in bestowing credit for some Of
these phrases.
Some time ago Harper's Weekly I'M
dertotk to locale the origin of tho
phrase "a public office is a. public
trust" llarper's identified it with tf,s
name OF the late Daniel S. Lamont,
but, taken to task by one of its read
ers. Harrers said it did not claim
that Colonel Lamont WIS the author
to fitting use in r., Cleveland cam
paign. Herper's then proceeded TO
give the credit to the late Governor
Hugh s. Thompson Of South Carolina.
>,
ployed the expression in his inaugural
address in 1882" Another reader Of
Hampers took issue with this state
r1ent and said that the credit belonged
to Daniel Webster. who. seventy years
ago, in q. speech delivered at BOSTON,
declared: cit is time to DECLARE that
Offices created for the people are pub
lie trusts. not private spoils."
The Commoner pointed out at the
time that Harper's critical reader AZ
well as Harpers itself was in error.
Grover Cleveland or Daniel l.amont.
as you please, Use the phrase i'm 1854:
Abram S. Hewitt used it in 1883 and
Governor Thompson used it, in 1882;
but Dorman B. Eaton, a, New York
lawyer, said in 1851: Public offices
are public trusts" and as early as
May, 1879, Charles Sumner declared:
THE phrase the public Office is pub
lie trust has Of late become common
property Daniel Webster, as this
reader of Harper's Weekly reminded
us, said: ut is time to declare that
ohicss created for the people are pub
nc trusts, not private spoils" But MIR.
iwsbster said that October IL, 1885,
and eight months prior thereto, Feb
ruary 10, 1895; John c. Calhoun said:
1.-THE very essence Of free govern
ment consists in considering Offices as
public trusts, bestowed for the good
-of the country. and not for the benefit
OF the Individual or a party" Years
before that Edmund Burke, in his ad-
dfeSs on the French Revolution, re-
yfsrred to q public Office as "a great
trust" and in 1907 Thomas Jefferson
a said: when a man assumes public
a tralst, he should consider himself as
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