Year: 1874

A gentleman the other day said, in illustra-
ton of the popular opinion about politicians,
that a hackman who was driving him about
Albany pointed out the State House with the
remark. "There's where they do the stealin',"
with no tone of facetiOuSneSs or satire but
as if stating an undisputed fact, as one who
should say in front of the Mint, "That is
where money is c0ined.n This sort of refer
ence to politicians is becoming so common as
to be excessively annoying to them. When
through the operation of natural causes,
through the craft of rivals or the re-
ports of Committees of Investigation, it
becomes evident TO statesman that
he Will be in minority at his next cOnyen-
ton, he finds no more convenient excuse for
refusing to be a candidate than the unbridled
RIGHTEOUSNESS of the press which has thrown
discredit upon the public service. "f public
"men are to be treated in this way" said
Senator Patterson, after it had been shown
that he had dabbled in Credit Mobllier and
had grievously wandered from the truth when
questioned about 1t, they may as well know
cit and retire from the thankless Office of
"serving the country The Hon. Jasper
Packard, who has three times been chosen
to serve his country in Congress,
and has now entered the ranks of
more OF less Independent journalism in
Indiana, has been deeply panied by rather
dull Joke, which said: "Your children may
"never have wealth, but when they grow up
cit will be something for. them to boast of
" that their fathers were not members of the
"XLIId Congress" He thinks that these
shafts of malice and mendacityn will have
tendency to keep the better class of men
out of political life. The late Republican
address took a somewhat lower view of the
case, threatening that if people did not stop
suspecting their public servants they would
make them dishonest.


In all this, as well in the attack as the de-
tense, there is that eXaggeration which is
inseparable from controversy. The last Con-
gress and several which preceded it left a
somewhat unsavOry record. But it is not
likely that anybody will ever deny that his
father was member in these days. 1t can
not be said that any one is to-day ashamed of
being "a member On the contrary, the con-
sideration and influence which member of
Congress, or even a member of our State As
sembly, enjoys is enough to compensate him
for all the Just or unjust criticism he receives


The local prominence conferred by these offices
Is still a matter of eager rivalry in every dis
trict of the United States. There is a slight
unhallOwed tendency to grin or to utter a
stale witticism when Granger casually states
in q bar-room that his .brother-in-law is in
| Congress. But even the men who grin and
grid at him acknowledge the addition of i'm
portance thus acquired, shadowy as it may be
| Mr.. Colfax suffered severe injuries in the posi-
ton of Vice President, but not enough to pre-
vent his accepting the place with alacrty If il
were again offered to him, and there are grave
doubts whether even Mr.. PomerOy would de-
cline unanimous election as Senator.
1t is not true, in short, that all Congressman
are dishonest, and it is not true that the de-
punciation of dishonest ones in the newspa-
pers has a tendency to keep anybody out OF
public life. Nothing which has yet been dis