The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-12


After all, what does it amount to?
What does it profit a man to win in
politics and lose the good opinion of his
neighbors and his own self-respect?
The strife, the treachery, the jealous
les, the back biting, the deceit, the
venality, the sham, the pretense. all are
disgusting to the man with lofty ideas
of public service-the man who believes
in honor and honesty and fidelity to
those who have chosen him to represent
them. The play for little petty power.
the sacrifice of ones self-respect in or
der to curry favor with those in au-
thority, are enough to make one doubt
the common sense of the man who has
his head turned by the thirst for the
bauble fame.
No man is honored by elevation to
office unless he himself honors the
office. The county attorney who per-
sistently does his duty is "a greater man
than the congressman or governor who
is mere f1gure-head. Joseph w. Folk
as district attorney of st. Louis, was
far greater man than the man who
was then governor of his state. whose
name has already been forgotten by
the writer hereof William Travers
ing his duty without fear or favor,
was a far greater man than was any
Congressman in the state of New York,
and 1t was only when he began to tenn
porize with the insurance wrong-doers
that he lost his greatness. Joseph L.
Bristow, chosen by two presidents to
uproot graft in the government, was
far greater in the eyes of the people
than the cabinet official with whose de-
partment he was connected. Victor
Murdoch on the trail of abuses and
wrongs which older congressman are
too stupid or indolent or cowardly to
attack, looms head and shoulders above
such congressman.
Robert NJ. La Toilette, standing for
the people of Wisconsin as against the
corporations, was far greater man as
governor than was John c. Spooner as
United States senator from the same
state, although Senator Spooner was
counted as one of the big men of the
senate. In the history of California
Rudolph Spreckles, private citizen, will
go down in history as far greater than
the entire corrupt gang of high officials
that he is now devoting his influence
his time and his wealth to uproot. Paul. |
a prisoner in Roman dungeon, is to- |
day counted greater than Nero, seated |
on the throne of the Caesars and ruling |
the world.
Greatness comes from within, not |
Office and power do not make |
a man great; it is how he fills the office |
and exercises his power. A fool might |
be elevated to office-but he would still |
be fool, and the man who is puffed |
with pride because his fellow-citizens |
have given him a little brief authority |
in selecting him as a public servant |
should not glory until he has proved |
himself worthy of the trust and re-
sponsibility reposed in him.
So what does a man gain by a little |
brief success If in order to get it, he |
his own conscience and sacrif-
ces the good opinion of those who trust
ed him? 1t is only for a little time In |
a few years, at best. ''lifes fitful fever"
will be over and only memory will re-
main. So why shorsd the sane. we'll
man sacrifice truth, and in
tegrity. and seIf-respect, and the right |
to look his neighbor in the eye like |
man, for a little brief glory and politi- |
cal success? 1t is only the foolish man
who does such things.
So it all goes back to the proposition |
that no man is honored by a position |
unless he himself by his conduct, hon
ors the position. J. r. Burton would |
have been far better off today had he
never been elected United Stat9s sen
ator. He dishonored his office instead |
Of honoring it.
A man came to the Kansas legisla-
ture not so very many years ago to
contest the seat of his fusion opponent, ]