Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-11-27
that department still be the most powerfully

that department Still be the most poWcrfuI.i
for evil in the Government.
The President is, under the checks of the
and law rightfuly invested
with the power of the sword, and he has
again and again had that of the purse also.
The Houses of Congress, it is true, lay tax
es. fix imposts, and regulate the sales of the
public domain: but it is he Through his
agents,) who handles the proceeds From
1888 to 1886 ito say nothing of the presently
he alone nominated and dismissed all the
agents who kept, as well as those who col
lected, distributed and disbursed the public
revenue. The apothegm--mdke as erecu-
tors, zoe care not ,Dho are your legateeS, has
a frightful application to such agents and
the immense treasure that annually passes
through their hands! '' '
The rapid increase and spread of popula-
ton, the growth of National wealth, the
amount of revenue collected and disbursed,
the new relations (by the extension of
commerce) with foreign countries; the adj
ditional appointments at home and abroad,
the number and value of contracts--aIl
constantly and necessarily on the increase
"a general decay in morals, perhaps as
great in Congress as elsewhere; the habit
that we have seen prevail during several
Presidential terms, of filling public offices
with but little or no regard to moral stand
ing, have taken together, already opened
to the head of the Government elements of
power and corruption which it was i'm
possible for the trainers and adopters of
the Constitution to foresee or to conceive.
Who at that distant day, for example, even
dreamed of the spectacles which have re-
Gently disguised every honest citizen?-ot
postmasters, mail contractors, mail agents
and census takers, covering the land
with Government pamphlets, hand bills
and extra gazettes, sufficient Gf read)
to sap the morals, public and private
of an entire generation!-of the custom
house mercenaries in the large cities, living
on the public, neglecting every duty for
party meetings and the polls, and rendering
to power the most bribe-worthy services!
of district aattornies and collectors
rambling missionaries defending every
abuse of office-their own the most indie
cent, in order to maintain power in the
hands of their patron? All who have re-
flected on the foregoing facts must be
ready to affirm--that Executive patronage
"has increased, is increasing, and ought to b
q diminished"
: I hope, then, by an early amendment o
. the Constitution, to see a reduction of the
: Presidents veto. The regulation of pat
ronage would properly follow.
There can be no good reason why the
;, veto should not be overcome by bare ma
jority in each house of Congress, of all the
! members elected to it--say for the beneh
:. of reflection, at the end of ten days from
the return of the bill. An amendment f
) this effect would still leave the President
=. the general representative of every STATE
: and dstrict--armed with the votes of al
J the members, absent, at the moment from
+ the respective Houses; and there will al
Ii ways be some members absent from both.
> > Rotation in OGce.-The inquiry unde
T this head is not definite in any letter befor,
= me- 1t, however, is presumed to refer: l
u To Governors and Secretaries of Terrific
Z ries, and some Of the Judges therein; Dis
;, trict Attornies, Collectors, Surveyors, an,
I Naval Officers of the Customs; Marshals
y Postmasters whose commissions amount t.
= a thousand dollars per annum; navy agents
y registers and receivers of land offices; SUI
Z veyors generals of lands and Indian agents
;. all of whom are, by law, a ppointed for
term Of four years, but subject by expires
" enactment, Except the iudges) to be re
= moved at pleasure;-2. To high class {
~ civil officers, next to the chiefs, in the En-
=" ecutive Departments at Washington; othe
- high Observation-Disclosures ministers, Sc,
y retaries of legation and consuls; postma
r. ters whose commissions amount to less tina
~ a thousand dollars per annum; superinten,
! ents of Indian affairs, Indian sub-agent
u &c, &c.--all appointed, without limitatc
w as to time, yet subject in practice-not b
!, eTpresS law--to be also removed at plea
- ure: and 3. To the assistants allowed /
:, law to very many of the principals i
u c luded above, which assistants are gen
~ rally called clerks-some of them deputic
~, ~ appraisers, weighers, guagers, sub-inspe
=: tors, store-keepers, lighthouse keepers, &
-. &c.--all appointed and subject to remov
~ as under the second head.
a., of am asked-Whether Gin my poor OPT
- ~, ion) all those functionaries, amounting
. many thousands, or any of them. ought
;nr be periodically superseded by original a
W, W. pointments' If yes-When! And if pa
~ only-Which?
81 q We have seen that a great number of {
'u' fees are filled for a term of years, al
10 more without any limitations as to ter
~, ~ !, however, can draw no line of Just d
AZ tmction between the claims of the ty
hS classes upon the favor of country or &c
" eminent.
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