South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1835-03-14

virtuous man wilfully and deliberate
ly to WELD the patronage and influence
Of bis office against the liberties of the
country, is there not danger from a.
mother quartera May not the office.
holders themselves combine to control
the elections of the country, and take
the power out of the hands of the peo'
pie 7 This is a question of critical and
urgen, importance, and it behooves you
to examine it closely.
The number of officers, employees,
etc. in the pay of the government, ex.
Guiding the military pensioners, the
rank and file of the army, and the sal
Tors, and marines of the navy, is now
above fifty thousand, and is rapidly in
creasing with the rapidly increasing ex-
pendture of the nation.-They are all,
with the exception of the Judges, liable
10 be dismissed at the pleasure of the
executive. And though usage and pub.
lie opinion have controlled the exer-
else of this power in regard to the Off
GERS of the army and navy, ii has been
so freely exercised in regard to all 9th.
er officers that they all feel their Deepen.
dance on the executive, and the neces-
sity of cuItivating his good will. Pro-
scfiption, for opiaion's sake, has un.
happily become the settled policy Of
the government, and it is much to be
feared that it will continue so. The
office holders, at least, are prompted by
their fears to believe that it will /; and
il is accordingly made their interest,
not only 10 support the administration
for the time being, right or wrong, bu!
to put forth their whole energies, al
each successive presidential election, in
favor Of q candidate whose close and
intimate connection with the chief ma
gis,rate, for the time being, affords a
guaranty that he will retain them 10 Of
fee. In other words, partisan, a ia.
yorite, and a nominee OF the president
going out of Office, will always bs the
candidate OF the of1ice-holdefs. 1t is
perfectly clear that the tendency fsuch
a state Of things is to convert the Of.
fce.holders into an organized body
operating in concert throughout the u
niono
| Here then is new power in the state
organized already formidable in
numbers-.constantly increasing-.whose
uitaI principle it is to control the popu-
| lar will in elections, and to promote
| the election to the presidency Of that
candidate, no matter how unworthy he
may be, who shall have entered into an
implied covenant with them to retain
them in Office.
You may be assured, fellow.citizens,
that this is no chimerical apprehension.
The oGce-holders are about to try their
strength with the people, for the first
time, in the election of the next pres-
dent. There are strong indications,
not TO be mistaken, of an organized and
concerted movement of Office holders,
now in progress, to effect the election Of
a president, whether the people like
him or not, whose first and last, and, in
their eyes only important qualification
is, his determination, we'll understood
to retain them in Office, and 10 perpet.
uate the system, Of which he is the pu-
tative father, of"rewardiag the friends
ofthe Administration and publishing its
enemies"
The Pretorian cohorts Of Rome Sc,
up the imperial dignity to sale, for mo.
ney, and elevated the highest bidder to
f the supreme authority. 1t ia much to
be feared that the band of office.hold-
ers ia these United States, have bar.
gained and sold the presidential dignity,
the chair once filled by Washington, 10
a politician who hes promulgated the
doctrine, by the mouth Of one of his
highest and warmest partisans, that
"offices are the spoils oivictofy !" TO a
politician who has the reputation ofhav-
ing matured and perfected the fatal sys.
tem, of prescription for opinions sake,
in his own state, and Of having intro.
duced that system, by means of his ia
luence over the president, into the
councils of the union.
twill be seen, fellow-citizens, wheth.
err the free people of these United States
will ratify such selection. lfthis ef4
fori of the official corps should happi-
ly fail, time and opportunity will be at.
forded to the people to prevent the re-
currence of such struggle by applying
the proper remedy to the disease OF the
body.poliiic.
The remedy is great reduction of
the national expenditure, and a CORES.
| pondent reduction Of E1ecutiue patron.