Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-24
Clean Politics to Be Issue
8 In Campaign Drawing Near

Japanese would win over the Rus
slams. The Japanese, he had learned
| from long contact with them, would
not swindie their government. They
said. In private dealings, but all were
honest and loyal whoa the interests
| Of their government. were at stake.
The Russian government, on the other
hand. was honeySomhsd with frau, fraud
| capped tremendously, he said. by the
idea OF official graft which was I'M
planted in the minds. Of all officials.
He said Russia was too, corrupt to
resist attack. The smaller. nation
would win. he confidently predicted.
because of the loyalty and honesty Of
Debasement of elective office is
more serious than debasement Of APP
Iobvious. Therefore. 1 make only
! passing reference TO the oil lease
| scandals and the disclosures OF the
special Senate conmittee that In.
Bureau. I have IN mind Just now
the Irregularities of public officials
in, states. like Illinois and Indiana.
and, find myself. wondering, whether.
down, of representative government
is not traceable, to the methods that
| a FESTIVE people have adopted to cor
rect. abuses. make no charge
against any man or against any sys-
TEN, but want to, raise the question
of the attitude Of the man who wins
Office under the primary system to-
ward. the Office. that he holds.
r y X y
OF recent years We have assumed
that the way to get rid Of the boss
and the crook. is to let everybody
take q hand. AS result we are ask
ing much of the. men who present
themselves for public Office. Under
our present system a man to obtain
nomination to public Office is placed
under great expense. He or his
friends are usually required to spend
more for the Office than the combined
elected. Under such circumstances Is
not the man who wins elective office
apt to think that he has bought some-
thing and Is entitled to use 1t to re-
coup the cost Of getting It? I have
in mind, too, the honor that Is sup
posed to go with elective office. Does
the winning candidate Of primary
feel, after he has gained Office as a
result of great expense and great eff
fort. that he has been honored
by his fellow citizens, or rather does
he feel that he has emerged trium-
phant from a terrific struggle. in which
he and his friends showed superior
prowesS. greater skill and got better
results from their expenditures.
In the essentials Of usefulness
public servants do not differ from
private servants. Yet business
concern would not hire employees who
offered to buy employment. 1t would
be suspicious of any one willing to
pay for the privilege Of working for
1t. There can be no doubt that the
public service would be purer IL il
were performed by servants hired by
the public rather than by persons
who are willing to pay out large
sums of money for the privilege of
serving the public.
/ am wholly in accord with the idea
that the people should ascertain the
character and impulses of persons
Offering themselves for public service.
doubt, however, IL this is to be
learned from hired publicity agents.
He Is rare American who has not
a good word to say for himself. He
is rarer American who does not
regard himself as At to hold any Office
within the gift of the people. The
rarest American of all is he who buys
something and yet doesn't feel that
il is his own.
Copyright, 1924. by. Tventy-hrst Century
Presa)