Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-03-12
A Debate on Office..SenatOrial
Badinage.

A Debate ON Office..SenatOrial
Badinage.
Those who know much about this Gov
eminent know that Virginia and Mary
land, being near the seat of Government
enjoy about half the minor offices of th'
country Knowing this, Senator Brown, Q
Mississippi moved they be distributed :
The following amusing debate ensued:
Mr.. Brown offered an amendment ap
portioning the clerks of the various depart
ments of the Government according to the
Federal ratio of representation. He SAID
that these places were now given out to
pets and favorites. He had become tired
Of these things. If places are worth hav-
ing, they are worth distributing among the
States which pay the salaries. He did moi
propose to turn out the present clerks, but to
adopt rule for future observance. Vir-
ginia has now five times as many clerks rs
the other States.
Mr.. Mason repudiated this idea of rotation
in office which means office is property, 'ant
to beduring the tenure of an admins
tration.As to Virginia having five times a
manyclerks as the other States, he had never
made an inquiry on that subject. Many o
the offices are ministerial and menial, ano
are trust for common benefit, and are moi
to be parceled out among mere partisians
1t was monstrous.
Mr. Brown replied that in selecting the
President, heads of departments and for
eign ministers, this rule was Observed
Virginiabas had enough already. He had
none of the highfalutin notions of the Sen
ator from Virginia.
Mr.. Mason said he had never intilnate6
desire to any President that a mar
should be taken from Virginia to fill a re
sponsible office, and he should think tho
President had decended from his high po
sition, he should inquire whether an ap
pointment would be agreeable TO hi
State. ...... --.-.--.-..fF
Mr.. Brown remarked that he did hea
that Virginia now claimed Cabinet mem
Der. She had more than her share of goot
things. Laughter. Mississippi has no
been so fortunate, and should have her jus
proportion. -7 ta
Mr.. Bigler had failed TO discover any
well founded reason in principle for thi
proposition. The idea of equal distribu
ton of the Government patronage woulc
not be carried out by the amendment fo
clerkships elswhere are as valuable as a
Washington. Clerkships in custom house
in large cities ought to be distributed, a
well as those here, in order for equality
This thing was utterly inpracticable ant
wrong in principle.
! Mr.. Pugh favored the amendment. HI
did not wonder that Mr.. Bigler was oppos
ed to it, as his State was gorged to the
throat with an, undue share of Offices
Laughter. The question was, should tht
Government patronage be divided fairly Oh
unfairly9
Mr.. Iverson said that Mr.. Mason object
ed to this proposition because Virginia hat
a large proportion of patronage, and Mr.
Bigler opposed it because if Pennsylvani.
had not already her full share, she expect.
to have during the next four years, wheI
it is expected Pennsylvania eounsels will
prevail, and the scralnblers be taken care of
Pass the amendment, and five hundred ap
plications would be filed from every State
the day after the Inauguration.
Mr.. Seward was inclined to favor the
amendment, because New York would be
entitled to one-eighth of all the inferior of
ficers of Government. He knew the peo-
pie of that State had the ability, and, he
might add, the willingness and courage tc
assume the responsibility. Laughter. +
He thought, however, it would be derogato-
ry to his State to be slammed off with
mere clerkships. She certainly is entitled
Cabinet officers, and failing in this, the de
iciency should be made in foreign missions
! Laughter. AS yet, of all the candidates
lowering about here waiting for the auspi
cious star of the Inauguration, he had seer
none whose head is surrounded with the
halo of a foreign mission. Laughter.
Mr.. Pugh-Does the Seuator say there
are no candidates from New York?
Mr.. Seward said whose head is sur
rounded with halo. Laughter.
Mr.. Pugh-The Senator is different
from anybody else if he has not seen them
Mr.. Seward-It is becaus the candidates
are hopeless that want to convert them
into hopeful candidates.
Mr.. Wilson thought Mr.. Browns propo-
sition a joke; (laughter;) but it was regard
ed by the Senate as serious joke, and the
citizens of Virginia. Maryland and the
District of Columbia, would think it any
thing but that. Laughter.] He could
not vote for the amendment rs it stands.
How could it be carried out in Vermont
Mr.. Rusk-Are there no Democrats
there. . -
Mr.. Wilson-Hardly enough to fill hel
share of Offices. When we Black Repub.
licans come into office in 1861, and as the
Senator from Mississippi says we cannot
get vote in his State-how thenl
Mr.. Brown-Appoint Democrats.
Mr.. Wilson said he would not consider
they belonged to a healthy organization,
and mentioned that when bis was here on
the eve of the Presidential election, in less
than forty-eight hours a dozen or fifteen
clerks called upon he, saying they sympa
thized very much with the Republican par
ty,but were obliged to keep very quiet
They thought that Col. Fremont woulc
come in, and hoped Mr.. Wilson would use
his influence for theirs. Laughter.)
Mr.. Thompson caused much laughter by
| his humorous remarks. He considered