Year: 1876

Shyster-Statesmen.


There is one aspect of the election


which is now pending that even al


Easy Chair can properly observe,and


that is the general demand for polite


al honesty and "high tone" The


phrase "high toned" had become


very ridiculous from it's application


to pepper-pots, but it had a very in


telligible meaning, which nothing
else can express more aptly. 1t is
like the word "gentleman," which
has been curiously abused and made
to stand for the most inconsistent
characters and qualities, but which Is
still, as Tennyson calls it, "the
grand old name" With the univer
sal demand for a higher political tone
however, it is easy to see how much
skepticism and contempt there is,
both of any assertion that there is
room for improvement and of any
resolute effort to improve. The shy
ster-statesman is not unknown even
in this happy land in the hour of its
Centennial glory, and he is firmly
convinced that he is the only man
who understands human nature and
practical politics. AS DR.. johnson
was of opinion in his dictionary that
"patriotism" is the last refuge of a
scoundrcl, so the shyster-statesman is
scornfully sure that "reform" is the
easy cry of charlatans and rascals.


One of his favorite tricks is to de.
nounce the protest against political
cheating and official fraud as Phar.
isaism. If members of a party sug-
gest that honesty is the best policy,
and that prompt investigation and
punishment of party offenders by the
party will tend to retain public conf,
dence in the party, the shyster-states-
man derides them as "holier than
thou men, and dishonesty and fraud
are practiclly condoned by him.
This cry of contempt is very terrible
to many persons, and it Is often sin
cerely repugnant to them. They do
not suppose themselves to be better
than their neighbors, and they recoil
from seeming to think SO. They
therefore appear to be half ashamed
of their own convictions, and they
are very likely to betray the very
cause that they wish to serve. But
this is proof of cowardice. A man
ought to have the courage to bear
when it is absolutely unjust
and known to HIM to be so, The
shyster-statesman is only loud bull
ly. No man need be afraid of him
Or his noise. Men practically en-
gagged in politics are cl enough,
and have plenty of expe, .ence; but
their great want is pluck. They are
timid from thousand reasons, and
are constantly outwitted by their own
The sarcastic epithet "tru-
ly good' scares them as much as q
charge of theft; and the desire to
propitiate and cvade and comprom-
lse perpetually betrays their own
cause.


A body of excellent citizens, who
really have no taxes to grind" al
though the shyster cannot believe
that anybody should concern himself
with politics except for a selfish pur-
pose, suggest that when offices are to
be filled by election they wish to
vote for honest, enlightened, progress
sive men. The shyster-statesman
cidicules them at once as congress
of saints which wants an angel for
every office. But if to insist upon
honest officers is angelic politics, 1t
olds fair to become very popular, as
educated and well-bred men see no
reason why ignorance and vulgarity
should contral public affairs, and they
,ake part in politics. The shyster-
statesman is ready for them, and
sncers at them as professors" and
'prigs" and "kld-gloved" and "super-
fine" There is laugh, as there is
when the clown jumps into the ring
with a saucy sally. But the shyster
assumes that education and intelli-
yence and decency and morality and
courtesy are repugnant and distaste-
ful to the American people, and as
usual the shyster is mistaken. If his
Fellow-shysters and bummers and ve-
nal editors and party runners of eve
" kind and degree were the people,
his kind of argument would be
effective. But they are not, and the
'oar of their noise and the panic
which it excites in the minds of many
well-meaning persons are unspeaka-
oly ludicrous. The thorough, h,bred
politician of low type-that is, our
friend the shyster-statesman-un-
loubtedly despises, with all the sin.
,crity Of which he is capable, the
demand of honesty, decency, and
fair play in politics. His tactics con-
,lst of retorts in kind. If "A damag-


ng charge is brought against any
Fellow-partisan, he levels one, false
or true, against some member of the
other side. He sneers persistently at
the suggestion of patriotic and i'm
personal motives. If opposition to
the Irregular" party decree is mani
tested by any one of the brethren,
his instructive remark is, "What does
he want?" His sole reliance is up
on what he calls the party strength,
not upon the patriotism or the intelli-
gence of the people. His conclusive
argument is that the other side is
worse than his own. r. exhaustive
theory of politics is that it is a mere
question Of the comparative foulness
Of pot and kettle.


Politics, indeed, as we know, often
practically compels choice of evils.
But to accept this as final situation
is absurd. The history of political
parties shows that great steps of
progress have been made when a
body of partisans have, so to speak,
taken the bull by the horns, and have
decided to make a choice of evils in
a startling manner by promoting the
present defeat of their side as the
only way of securing an ultimate
victory. This was done thirty years
ago IN the State Of New York, when
a certain NJ nber Of the old Wing
party, although more than ever hos