The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1861-07-17

voters of the country have no choice up.
on the day of election, but 10 select
among the candidates which the conyen-
ton has already presented, and party
usage and feeling alike urge the selection
of partizan candidate, regardless of hon.
esty aud qualification. No government
founded in honesty can long retain its pn-
rity and carry out its original designs un.
der the operations of such system.
Another of the abuses in the working
of our government is the systematic Of
fort to get appropriations for unnecessary
and often for unconstitutional Objects
| apprehend it was not the policy of the
fathers TO have such an institution in this
country as the third house. They made
provision for two, and without doubt sup
posed they would be sufficient to do the
business of the country. But time has
proven that wisdom did not die with
them, but, on the contrary, has made
rapid advancement, rs shown in the
institution of that irresponsible yet
powerful body, which, without authority
in law, without pay, without either the
profits or honors Of Office, watches with
such jealous eyes the appropriations of
Congress, and exerts commanding influ-
ence upon its Legislation. Each year, as
Congress assemblies, the third convencs.
1t is there at the beginning, there during
the session, and there at tho close. 1t
not only has supervision of the legisla-
tive department, but in the ardor Of its
patriotism has ordered its leaders to take
charge of the Executive also, and seat
themselves in the offices of the Cabinet.
An dive find there, to-day, Greeley, Bcech-
er, Weed and Raymond, in the same
seats that were occupied one year ago by
the irresponsible advisers of James Bu-
chanan. That third house in its organi-
zation and drill has acquired precision
and method of attack that would put TO
the blush the famed New York Seventh.
They combine and undermine, they at
tack openly and by surprise, they whce-
die and intimidate, and if all these fail
they bribe until the Representative upon
whom they are operating, bewildered and
confused, surrenders at discretion. No
general appropriation Of Congress, no
passage Of a private bill, no contract for
carrying on the operations of the govern
ment, no purchase Of any property, for
any purpose, no operation however grand,
no act, however minute and trivial, from
the building Of Pacific Railroad TO the
employment of Page in Congress, es-
capes their observation, and is not either
assisted or obstructed by them.
The abuse of executive patronage is an
other evil that those who founded our
government failed to provide against
The amount of power and patronage con-
nected with the office of President Of the
United States has exerted an enormous
influence upon every election since John
Adams was inaugurated. Great as was
then the amount of power vested in the
President, it has grown with our growth,
and strengthened with our strength, until
it now exceeds that of any constitutional
king in the world. From the appoint
ment of the Minister TO the Court of ST..
James, down 10 the Postmaster in the
most sparsoly settled township in our
country, the federal offices are his to
give or withhold at pleasure. His to give,
his to withhold, with the millions upon
millions of salaries and perquisites con-
nected with them. / do not charge that
this power has always been corruptly used
or that in the main it has been so. l
charge that every officer of federal ap-
pointmcnt is expected to act in accordance
with the wishes of him who gave his Of
fetal being, even in matters where his Of
fetal duties are not concerned. lie is ex-
pected to act as partizan. He is ex-
pected to act rs the partizan of the Pres
ident who gave him his appointment.
The extent and profit of that power
forms the nucleus around which the GU.
pidity and ambition of politicians gather
to concert their schemes of plumber anc
advancement. Available candidates, that
is, candidates that can be elected an6
made available after they arc elected, arc
the offspring, the legitimate children Of this
patronage. Polk, an unknown man, with
whose history and antecedents the citizens
of the country were entirely unacqualnt
ed, was an available candidate. w,
knew little or nothing Of him and conse
quently could say little or nothing eithel
for or against him. He was available and
would run. lie did run like an Arabian
courser, but he was not available after hC
was elected. The politicians had blindly
chosen an honest man; for the last yea
of his administration tho ordinary expen
ses of the government were only $40,
100000. Ten years ago. Think of il
and then think what they now are. Cass
Van Buren, Johnson, Dallas and Sila
Wright, were all defeated in convention
that new and unknown man might b.
presented TO the American people, 70
chief magistrate of this republic. Pierc
was an available candidate, nominated b,
politicians under very similar circumstan
ces. Buchanan was an available candid
ate nominated by politicians--Lrue he ha'
| lo,.. ool -uo.ol, L. .ooo.,1 I,,t tha N, nj