Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1845-08-14
II FL e A c. e.
M ON DAY, AUGUST IL, 1915.
"THE RASCALITY OF PROSCRIP-
TION"

article in yesterdays National Intelligent
Ger, for the purpose of making it the text
for few comments on the subject which
is thus introduced. Indeed, when paper
which prdes itselfin maintaining perfect
propriely Of department in the worst Of
troubles, is provoked into the use of so
coarse an expression as the one which gra-
ces the head of our article, its readers and
the public will infer the existence OF some
extraordinary cause of the excitement it
displays. Joseph Surface mere" swore in
public, The Mr. Tempeton Of Bulwer only
used prolone expleuve when the. high.
wayman's pistol was at his head; and great
indeed we're the annoyances to which"our
army in Flanders" were subjected before
they swore at all, much more before they
"swore (so) terribly"
The editors OF the Intelhgencer, it
seems, then, are in trouble. Capable
whigs, ia their opinion, have been remov-
ed from Office by this administration, to
make way for men whom they politely cali
"LocotocoS." 1t is useless sior us to at
tempt to console them by any reference to
the speech of Mr. Clay on this subject, to
which alIusion has so frequently been
made. They would tell US, perhaps, that
what would have been right in Mr. Clay,
is extremely wrong in Mr. Polk; and in
proof that circumstances alter cases."
they nigh: refer us to the fable of the law
yer's bull that gored the farmers OK.
But the "proscrption' of which the In
telligencer speaks, has been by no means as
general as that paper would induce its rea-
ders to believe. 1t has been by no means
as extensive as the prescription by the
wings in 1871, nor the 1.-THE of what it
would have been, if we may credit their
own orators, had they again succeeded to
power in 1916. The prescription" so
much talked Of, cannot have been very
bloody, which has left in Office, thus far,
in this city so large proportion of wings.
We have an illustration before US to the
point, in the removals of postmasters for
the four months ending the 30th June, 1915,
as contrasted with the removals made in the
same period ending on the Both June, lS4l.
We select the two states in which the pres
ent and former Postmaster Generals reside
for this comparison, as being perfectly fair
and sufficiently extensive for the purpose.
For the four months ending June 80,
al, the number of Postmaeters re-
moved in New York amounted to 307
Il emoyals in Tennessee in the same
period ii
Total 3lSI
For the four months ending Junc3 80,
1914, the number of Postmasters
removed in New York amounted
TO al |
In Tennessee, same period 3
Total .. A
More than even by three 10 one in favor
of the wings. And we venture TO say that
this proportion would hold good through
out all the other departments ofthe govern
ment. Constant readers, as we were Of
the Intelligencer, we have no recollection
of having seen in the columns of that paper,
in 1871, a word on the subject of the "ras-
Guilty of prescription" On the contrary,
il our memory serves US, it Justified remov-
ais then. But perhaps the "fery trial. to
which it was subjected last November, has
laugh, it the nexpe liency and impropre-
ty of such course. The dislmereStcd-
ness OF such decision now, is perfectly
obvious. 1t strikes us, that we have be-
fore heard Of people who have advocated
the doctrine of an equal distribution ofall
the goods Of this world. II is said howev-
er, (and perhaps with some degree of
truth) that people Of this class rarely have
anything of their own 10 add to the COM
mon stock.
Let us not be understood as offering the
conduct Of Mr. Francis Granger, or the
previous course Of the wings, as an ca
case for anything which this adminlstra-
ton has done. When we seek for exam
pies, we shall probably look farther and
for higher models. The removals which
have been made, have been tmperiously
called for by decided and irresistible
public sentiment. Other removals will. no
doubt, be necessary, and will not De pre-
vented by the senseIess clamor of the
wings. Justification ofa measure is uncail-
ed for, when overwhelming pc pular ap-
prevail sanction it. An administration
placed in power by the voluntary sui1rages
Of free people, and industrously engaged
in carrying out the will Of that majority,
securely rests its confidence in the honest |
~ and intelligence Of the masses, and, in
he present instance, is in no danger
IF being diverted from its purpose by the
Interested revilings of its bitter opponents.
Dur obec, in these hasty remarks has
been SIMPLY to show how baseIess is the
charge of "rascally prescription" preferred
by the Intellgencer; and TO expose the dis
righteousness which is at the bottom Of
he accusation.
"UNCONQURED VERMONT"
Under this head, the N. Y. Tribune, in
reduces the proceedings ofthe Wing State
Convention of this "noblest Of the States"
Richmond Wing, last iall,) We Gull a
ew resolutions on "the Texas mighty"