St. Paul Daily Globe

IMPERTINENCE

Members of the Republican party and especially members of the editorial fraternity of that ilk seem to think that office-holding is the chief end of man. Judging others seemingly by themselves, they can conceive of no purpose on the part of prominent members of the Democratic party, local or general, but a thirst for office, and an intention to lay the plans to secure it. Democrats can make no movement business-wise, however far away or remote from office-seeking greed in personal interest, without being suspected or charged with ulterior designs on some office within the gift of the President-elect. This is simply vicious and impertinent. For months before the incoming of the new administration, the Republican press is busying itself in parceling out the offices in the gift of the administration, and assigning certain persons to specific positions. No matter how emphatically or sincerely an individual may disclaim a desire for a designated office, or for any office, partisans, rendered ferocious by defeat, will continue to pursue private individuals basely and impertinently with the sole aim of gaining some official appointment. In these days a private individual cannot be permitted to pursue the even tenor of his way, addressing himself to personal or individual business interests without having the charge of office seeking hurled at him or fastened upon him. This is simply scandalous, and derogates from the candor and fairness which ought to characterise public journalism. This spirit of office seeking greed has so long characterised the corrupt and defeated party just going out of power that they transfer and carry over and attribute the same office seeking greed to members of the Democratic party. Offices have been put in the political market for sale by the Republican party. Presidential candidates have been forced to pledge certain offices to certain men, in consideration of money, or other influence to sustain "the cause." This was shamelessly the case in the Garfield campaign, and a seat on the bench of the Supreme Court was one of the offices bargained for and pledged. Numberless other high offices were also bargained for in the same way. If this is not political and party corruption what is it? Even now the newspapers of the defeated party, are constructing a cabinet for the new President, and are impertinently assigning different prominent Democratic statesmen to the several stations to be occupied by the advisory official family of the new Executive. This is indecent and vicious. And of the same impertinent character is the designation of Henry Ward Beecher as minister to the court of St. James. And other persons are assigned to different positions in the same vicious way, and are charged with seeking this, that, or the other office. It is a great attainment for a man to mind his own business. What right, it may be asked have Republican editors to make up a cabinet for Mr. Cleveland, or to assume to dictate to him the appointment of named individuals to designated offices, or what decency is there in charging individuals by name with seeking given offices, when such suggestions are absolutely untrue, without any foundation, or in persistently repeating such charges when denied? The newspaper press is debauched, and occupies a low plane of deception, false suggestions and unreliability when it thus does. But this is what the Republican press is daily doing. What reliance can be placed upon public journals that are thus reckless of truth, common propriety, personal respect or decency?