The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-10-24

!
| The Democrats and Free-soIers Of Massa-
chusetts thoroughly comprehend the maxim,
''to the victors belong the spoils," and are do
! ing their best to reduce it to profitable prac-
tice. The uniform rule in that State has hith-
erto been TO discountenance the system of re-
moving office holders merely because their
opinions were different from those Of the party
in power. and of employing these offices for the
purpose of rewarding INSCRIPTIONS partisans.
But we learn from the Boston .4drertiser that
the present incumbent of the gubernaiorial
chair has departed from this time honored prin-
ciple, and is using the patronage vested in him
to advance the ends of the coalition by whom
he was elected.
To render the affair thoroughly Ineligible
the .A,iueriiser reviews the circumstances under
which the coalition was formed by the Demo
cratic and Free-soil parties. The Legislature,
it may be remembered. presented in both
branches the anomaly Of three minority parties.
The Wings formed by far the largest party,
but the Democrats and Free sellers united con-
stituted decided majority, the members belong
ing to each of those parties being about equal
in number.
"This state Of things had been foreseen from the
moment when the success of the coalition in the
primary elections ascertained. The question
to be solved, however, presented little difficulty in
the minds of those adopts in negotiation who had
contriyed and executed the county and town sys-
TEN Of coalition. 1t had become from necessity, as
was alleged, a case for bargain all around the
compass. Such a bazaar of political traffic the
caucuses of the Democratic and Free-soil parties
exhibited, for several successive weeks, probs.
bly, never before known All grades of elective
State Offices known to the constitution of the State
were in the market besides two United States SEN
ators one for the long term and the other for
short term, daily becoming shorter. Bids were
made, rejected, modified under various combina-
tons, and for successive days held in suspense At
length it was arranged that the Democratic party
should have the Governor, the Lieutenant Cover
nor ma oriy of the Council and the Senator for the
short term and that the Free soil party should have
the Senator for the long term, the balance of the
Council, and the Secretary of State This seemed
to be conceding to the Democratic party the lions
share, nasmuch the majority of the Council
seemed to carry with it the whole executive pa
tronage of the State; but in reply to this, it was
considered that the Senatorshjp for the long term
the pearl of great price and the Free soil mem
|
derstood also that this prize would be obtained only
with difficulty and by the aid of all the executive
influence which could bear upon it, and it was fur
Their expected that the executive appointments
would be dispensed with due regard 10 all the
complicated circumstances of the case. We can
not pretend to know how far the conditions of the
arrangement settled before any part of the
bargain was executed, do we pretend TO be
quainted with any of the conditions of the arrange
ment, any further than they developed in it's
execution"
Under these circumstances Governor BoUT-
WELL and the Executive Council entered of
fee, but it was not until some time afterwards
that Mr. SUMMERS election to the Senate of the
United States was accomplished. How far
Governor boutwell, aided in bringing about
that election has been matter of dispute; but
that he did aid is proved by several facts
brought forward in the .Adrertiser'S article.
The Senatorial contest continued for about
three months.
During this period very few executive appoint
ments were made, not more, we believe, than five
or six, and the given for postponement was.
that appointments would not be made until after
the Senatorial election determined. After the
election, appointments were made in rapid success
sion, TO the number of come forty of which not less
than ten conferred upon members of the
| Legislature, all # iuhom il understood had
voted on the final ballot, for MIR. Sumner, although
one or more of them in some of the earlier ballots
had voted against him. We do not undertake to
say that these offices thus conferred upon
bers of the Legislature because they voted for MIR.
Sumner. We merely state what ia understood
to be fact, that such appointments have been
-
Mr.. Sumner, has received any appointment from
the present executive. OF these appointments four
are to the office of sheriff, two to that of commits
sioner of insolvency and each to the offices of
register of probate, commissioner for the enlarge
ment of the State prison, trustee and treasurer of
the farm school at Wesborough, and land agent"
These facts form very instructive appendix
to the history of one of the most disgraceful al
liances that exists in the annals of party war
| fare.