Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-03-20
Rotation i'm office.


For the FIRST time in the history of the
nation do we witness an administration
practicing upon the party which placed it
in power the policy of rotation in Office.
There was something to palliate the reno
val of democrat from Office by wing adj
ministration, and substituting wing for
him; and rice Uersa-but we regard as
wrong both in policy and principle, this doc
trine Of rotation initiated by Mr.. Buchan-
an. A good officer who has discharged
his duty honestly and faithfully to the sat
isfaction of the government, should not be
discharged merely because some other mem
Der Of the party has not fed at the public
crib, and hungers for its tempting contents;
and it is lowering the dignity of the ma
ton to do it. 1t is unjust to the holders of
Offices, particularly so, when they recall the
fact that they were required to contribute
a per centage of their salaries last year to
aid in the election of Mr.. Buchanan, the
man who now unceremoniously compels
them to pack up their duds and vacate.'
Besides, in many instances, it must be very
oppressive. We have before us now an in
stance Of this sort, in a neighboring State,
where an aged gentleman, lifelong dem
ocrat, with a large family dependent upon
him, whose excellent wife plies her needle
to assist him in their support, has been ro-
tated out of Office to make room for a
young man. not far up in the twenties, "a
period of life which should be remarkable
for energy and industry, for independence,
and for scorn of such things as pensioning
upon the bounty of party. We think the
Administration has made blunder, and a
serious one too, in adopting policy which
produces such results as these. 1t must
affect Mr. Buchanan injuriously. The fol-
lowing extract from an article in the Gin
cinnati Gazette upon this subject, is appo-
site
Important Offices cannot be filed well ex-
| eept py men OF experience ana consequently
the public business Is rarely transacted IN q
proper manner, because the system which APP
pears 20 have been adopted by Mr.. Buchanan,
rotaies men ont Of Office about a. soon A. ex-
perienoe renders their services valuable. Po-
liticians by trade would doubtless protest
against course different from thar which has
been pursued heretofore, bat IL Il a question
worthy the consideration Of President and
/ Heads Of Departments, whether tbe people are
not more worthy Of attention. than the army
! Of hungry osics-seekers, who, Incompetent
from natural causes or iadoienoa, 10 aaake a
living IN an homes, .h0nofable calling, are Goa
stanlly watching for al opParlnnity 70 satisfy
their depraved Appetiles a. the public crib.
0fail men "a the world, these are the Last com
pesana % GA Important Offices, and yea such
ehasAsssss are usaally, TO > large extent forced
upon the publie.
The kxeeaiise shoald turn out OF ofioe al
incompetent men; and this class Is certainly
sufficiently nnlneroaa 70 seeare fan 1employ-
nent for the rotary machins fsr months to
c0ms eut When men are goann Ia lnaporsAul
stations, who have proved themselves capable
and honesi, their rernovkl would Is ersss
pubic wrong; aud 80 act % clcarly ualast md
uasiss should not DO oommitged s.75