Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-07-07

stores or offices for such petty emolu-
ments." Nonsense. my friend, non
scnsc. The question of financial re-
turns should have nothing 10 do with
our offering the city positions 10 our
most prominent citizens. We should
look upon uiIr city governments the
same Us they do IN England or Scot
land or Australia or New Zealand.
| There the people. no matter how
wealthy or prominent they may be,
feel IL an honor 10 be called an alder
man Of Glasgow. or Edinburgh. or Lon
don. or Melbourne. or sydney. For
years Lord ROSebcry and the Earl OF
Covingtun and John Burns. the labor
leader. worked side by side In the Lon
Ion county council. Even In the small
est towns of those countries you can
find the most prominent citizens Of all
political parties workin. side by side
aS aldermen. The simple fact Is we
want that spirit that says: When duty
calls 10 the municipal halls. then II is
not wrong Ia 20 for the greatest Of
men no matter whether he be mer
chant prince or legal authority" AS
soon as some of our prominent business
and professional men are willing to
make pccuniary sacrifice to serve In
the municipal offices. then these posi-
tons will he sought after by our promi
ncnt men. as the congressional and
| senatorial and gubernatOrlal conven
tons now call To the front almost any
man for whom they Indicate prefer
encc.
But there IL still another reason be.
sides honor and fame why our most
prominent citizens should be prevailed
upon 10 assume the municipal burdens
of official life. II man will not serve
his city AT Il financial sacrifice. then in
truth lie Will not in all probability serve
| his city faithfully even II he had to
make no financial sacrifices. The sim
pie fact is that our country. both Ia ma
tional and civic life. has never been
able 10 financially reward its true
servants adequately. DO you not be-
lieve that Webster and clay and Cal.
houn AMI Washington and Hamilton
and Robert X. Livingston and Judge
| Story and Marshall aud Samuel j. Ran.
dali could have made five, ten--aye
twenty times more money If they had
never entered public life; 10 you be-
| levc that our soldiers who died for
the defense of their native land were
ever adequately paid for spilling their
lifc's blood The other day | was read
ng nm account Of the mortality Of the
| Fiflh New Hampshire infantry At the
battle of Frederick Sburc In one charge
II lost lS'i men ont of II muster OF 500.
In that one charge every one Of the
color guard WAS shot dead Then Cap.
tain Perry ran for gard and lifted the
| fallen colorS. and lie almost instantly
was "a corpse. Then another soldier.
Captain Murray. rushed forward and
| graSpetl the Nag. and he was shot dead
| Then Captain Moore entered That hail
storm Of bullets for the precious flag
and he, too. dropped dead. Then four
or five private soldiers met u like fate
aud bit the blood soaked earth Then
Lieutenant \rtlleton. just as brave as
| the rest. made II dash Tor tlle precious
hag aud bore il 10 the rear.
DO You mean to tell me that those
men financially We're adequately paid
for shedding their life's blood: Why.
some OF these men could have been
making their thousands of dollars at
home If they had not enlisted IN the
| Union army. Yet some of those sol
diers for Il mere pittance of SIG a
month We're ready To lay down their
lives for their country's defense. Now.
/ want To ask you this question. Are all
the heroes of this nation dead? Nay,
| believe men and women are just as
ready to make sacrifices for their coun-
try now la these times of peace as
| they We're in 1861 and 1872 and 1876.
! And | furthermore believe that the
most prominent citizens of our large
cities will serve MS in municipal offices
IL we only 20 after them and call them.
| In these civic problems which we have
10 solve let us divorce municipal poll
ties from national politics. Then, in
the next place. let us nominate for our
city officers not the professional office
seekers. but let us 90 to our best mer-
chants and lawyers and physicians and
say: Men, come and serve us. Come
and make our cities names honorable
| In the sight of men" And as Ameri'
cans, north east south and west. will
quickly volunteer their services In
times of war. SO ] believe these promi-
nent merchants and lawyers and doc
tors aye. and ministers will come TO
the rescue of our cities in times OF
peace.
Look 20 the Conventions.
But we must not simply look ut our
municipal candidates when we attempt
to rescue our cities from their present
political corruption. We must also
weigh carefully in the balance the men
by whom these candidates are being
| selected There Is not one municipal
| candidate In ten thousand who will an
nounce himself as Il candidate for n
| city or county office. as did William
/ Travcrs Jerome for the district attor-
neyship of New York city. A man as
candidate for public office is in
evItablv the candidate of certain men
| ,rJ l..i.,,.,s "a tha Sama class 'ffis