Year: 1874


and success Of popular government.


BY nature the American people are
nation Of politicians. They hear politics
discussed from the hour they arc old
enough to comprehend the meaning of
the word, Yet it is only in times Of
great excitement, when the public mind
is thoroughly aroused to the necessity Of
action upon some question Of great
Importance, that the interest taken in po-
litical matters is of the kind which in
sures the triumph Of correct principles Of
government. 1t is only through some
grand awakening of the people, which
places the professional politicians In tho
background and puts the control Of gov
ernment affairs in the hands of men fresh
from the ranks Of the masses, that for
time the wheels of government move on
in a manner which gives popular salts
faction. As the temporary excitement
dies away, the politicians cGme again to
the front, and by their dexterous manip-
ulation of the political machinery soon
regain ascendency. This is the case sim
ply because the people permit it. The
power to select honest, competent officials
rests with them, and it is their own fault
if they fail to exercise it. When men
learn this fact, and learn to act npon it
we can look for a return to the era OF
good government. Nearly every man
has some fixed principle Of politics W hieh
the two great parties Of the country. SO
far so good. II follows then, that he
should endeavour to secure the triumph
Of that principle at the polls. Does he do
it? In some instances, perhaps, he does
but in the generality OF cases he sur
renders the primaries and nominating
conventions into the hands Of the polti-
Clans, and then has the choice of support
ing the ticket they make up, Of "bolting"
If better men are presented by the other
party, or Of maintaining a disgusted neu-
trality which leads him to either refrain
altogether from voting, or to take
= choice Of evils" 1t is the duty Of
erery citizen who desires good govern
ment, to be an active politician--to see
that none but reliable men like himself
have control Of the working machinery
of his party. Until this becomes the
rule, we can look for no wholesale reform
in the management of governmental af-





fairs. The spasmodic efforts which peo-
pie at times arouse themselves to make,
are generally engineered by demagogues
and amount to nothing. It is ronly by
keeping in mind that " Eternal vigilance
is the price Of Liberty" that different
state of affairs can be brought about.


The trouble is the people are not true
to themselves. They permit themselves
TO be run" by those who make politics
a trade, and then growl il things are not
to suit them. And at length acknowl-
edged evils are borne patiently, or sane
toned, until another spasmodic effort is
made to thlow off the rule of the rings
and cliques. The local politics Of our
own county can be cited in proof Of this.
Just as long as the " Chinese tax" was
collected did the Office of Tax Collector
control the politics of the county. Eve
ry other Office was made to lingo on that
one. As the rod of Aaron, when il be-
came a serpent swallowed up the rods OF
the magicians, so did this one office Of
Tax Collector swallow up all other Offices
so far as public interest was concerned.
Legislative candidates were placed be-
fore the people, not upon their merits,
but solely by reason Of the number of
trading delegates which they could bring
to tho support Of n candidate for Tax
Collector. And it was well understood
that although tho legitimate profits Of the
office were small, yet it was worth to the
lucky holder twenty, thirty or forty
thousand dollars-in fact just rs much rs
could be "hogged" from the Chinese
without being caught. A similar system
Of political ethics and wholesale swnd-
ling prevailed throughout the mining
counties. This is a question of the past,
it is true, and We only make reference to
it to illustrate how official corruption can
be fmiiarized TO, and winked at by, the
public. And although the sale of Chi
nesc mining licenses brought in large
revenue to the county, revenue, too,
which was sadly needed, yet many Of
our heaviest taxpayers rejoiced when its
collection was stopped and that source Of
corruption banishod.


So long as men are content to perform
the greatest duty Of citizenship in the list
less apathetic way now practiced, we can
look for no change which viii be last
ing in its character. While triumph
Of principle is sought by contending par
ties, il stands to reason that the system
now practiced to decide the claims Of
rival aspirants will remain in use. If
those desirous Of official reform viii COM
mence at the right starting point, II can
easily be effected. That point is 10 wrest
the control Of a party's political machine
ry from the hands Of the professional
place hunters. IL is not in the formation
Of new parties, which become at once the
cities Of refuge for all played-out poiti-
clans, and are controlled by them and
the demagogical newspapers in their in
terests.