Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-10-20
Tho Influence Of Patronage.


..Haa thsrs been no patronage ~ back Lecomp
ton, Il woald have persisted uttsriy.
Va take The above extract from . leading edito
rial article in q late number of the Phadelphis
Rsss.
Il gives % NO pleasure 70 lament the polt'cs'
and moral dsgeneracy Of the age Bo. as fa'tn'
full eAronicas Of the times IL is our duty to point
ont the dausses aud obstacles in the way OF the
suecess Of IL sxpsriment-for it Is yet an expert
msnt-xhicA ne ere making for the establishment
off FREQ Rspablican Government. And there
il ma hing more than another next to the dispo-
stiou 10 carry 10 IN unlimited extent the priv'le-
ees Of tho peopls, which presages danger and down.
fall 10 our whole system Of government it is the
delster;ous inAusnoe which is at this day exercised
BY the enormous patronage which the Admins
tration has annually at its disposal.
In to the time Of Gen. Jackson's installation
into the Presidency. no one had ever dreamed OF
emracyine the olkce-holders Of the Government for
the accomplishment Of political purposes. The
systsm Of prescription for opinions sake was COM
menced By Gen. Jackson, because no saw that the
interests Of party could be thereby subserved-and
for no other reason 1t never would have been
instituted but for this. Democracy ever on the
alert for the success of its representatives. hcsa
ted at no appliances which could be uscd-and to
the Democratic party are we indebted. not only
for the discovery that the patronage Of the Govern
ment might be welded for party purposes, but for
the first practical application of the discovery
itself
Since then, it is undeniablc that matters have
progressed from bad to worse. Ii the patronage
of the Government were the engine OF political
power in Jackson's time, when expenditures
were only twenty odd millions of dollars how
much more must i: be now. when we are annu-
ally spending one hundred Millions The evil,
in truth, has more than kept pace with the IN
crease Of the amount For. while in the days OF
Jackson's administration. the patronage was only
employed incidentally. it is now welded excn-
syely with reference to political results. Not
tide waiter or gauger ina Custom House can beap
pointed unless with view Of either procuring or
retaining some political influence.
Who doubts that many an election has been de-
cided by the stipendiarics If the Federal Govern
menti Who doubts that Florence was elected in
Philadelphia the other day hy the men from the
Navy Yardi Who questions that the municipal
elections in Washington City are decided, not Ly
the permanent residents and property-holders of
the Metropolis, but by Government employees aud
laborers in the public fices and w"rk-shops?'-
What folly it is to talk If the purity Of the lalot-
box, and the "unbough' sufragcs Of the people
in the face Of these notn,i, liz iac,s! Whit FLY
y proclaim that the POPULAR voice de,iles great
questions Of Government, when that + pular Voice
is only the echo Of the voice Of those whose money
controls their sufiages!
But is it not curious that all this takes place
under Democratic form of Government De-
mocracy claims to recognise the right of the peo-
pie to govern themseives--but the Democratic
party, the party which Processes Democracy, prnc,
cally denies this dogma, in that it considers that
the sense of right among the people should be
stanty stimulated with money If, according the
Democratic dogma, the people competent to gov
ern themselves how is it that the employment ofpat
ronage affects their actions. either the one way or
tho otherf Does not the use Of money and pat
ronage constantly refute their own assumption
that ror popii est ror Dei-and that the unerring
instinct Of the people always leads the bcs, re.
suits?
uuu tneTe Decn no patronage 10 Dack Iecomp-
ton" quoth our Democratic paper, it would
have persisted utterly" Here there are two very
pregnant admissions. The first is, that mems
convictions and actions are influenced b, 'patron-
age"-an assertion which upsets the whole Demo
cratic theory Of Government. The second is, that
this patronage" was employed by the Admins
tration. In other words, the Offices in the gift of
the Administration were disposed Of not with re-
ference to tho general welfare and benefit of the
whole people. but solely with reference to 40
compton" The candor with which the declara-
ton is made, convinces us that such employment
of patronage" is not only not an unusual thing
but, worse than all, that it tacitly receives the
sanction and encouragement Of the politicians and
the people.
We have fallen upon evil times, when such
avowals are unblushingly made, and are regarded
as of 30 little moment as to be worthy of neither
denial nor defence. Great as is the patronage"
Of the President already, it bids fair to be still
greater in the future--and the time NAV come
whsn the public sense of the wrong involved in
this matter Of patronage" may become so acute
as to cause return to the better and ulster system
which existed befre it was invaded by the reck-
less Democratic legions who Tough, and con.
quered under jackson.
How it was Done.