Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-09-28


Almost everybody must have no ticed, Of
late, at least two advertisements Offering to sell
appointments to cadetshIps in the military and
naval academies fol certain specified sums.
This very week the editor Of this journal had his
attention called 10 3 note from a respectable
person Offering TO sell West Point cadetship,
the appointment to which had in some way got
under the writer's control, for thousand dol
lars II is very probable that these eagerly
sought appointments have hitherto been paid for
in money as well as IN personal and political
influence, but We never before observed this re-
freshng frankness in publishing the fact of their
sale and fixing the exact price required. 1t is
worthy of congressional inquiry how this new
sreces Of brokerage has arisen. The business
should either be legitimated or speedily stopped
for, as things now are, If strikes the ordinary
American mind as g very poor way Of making
money and a worse one Of making officers
could anything be more shameful p asks
the Providence Journal. yet, under the old
system of appointments the places, when not
sold FOR money, were as truly sold as though
money had been paid for them. They were
paid for by political support
We have heard Congressman say that
there were members of the House who regu-
larry sold every Office and appointment I'M
der their control. We have heard others
say that probably very many did so; and
Others still palliate known cases Of such We
nality by the statement that 4" undoubtedly
almost all the Congressman do more
or less at that business" We be'ieye this
last assertion to be a gross SANDER on our
nations al legislators Doubtless there are
those in their number who eel their appoint
ments; but we trust and believe that they
arc very few. 1t is an alarming circum-
stance that there are any such, and still
more alarming circumstance when such
corrupt practices find excusers among res
pectable citizens at home. Ii seems to Us
that the public conscience needs quickening
on this point Let US consider what is in
volved in the deliberate practice of such a
traffic in Offices.
The theory of our republican system is
that everything shall be Ito use Mr.. Lin
coins words - Of the people, by the people
and for the people The member
of Congress is simply the representative
of the people of his district. He Is to
represent in his person the honesty and Tu
rity of an h nest and pure constituency. If
the selection between applicants for the
minor Offices Of the Government is practi-
cally eonfded to him, it is because be is
supposed best to know the people of his dis
trict and to be able TO cay who of their
number will serve them best. OF cou ,se
when such Tower is entrusted to a corrupt
man, all COS sideratiOns of public good are
subordinate t. h.s private advantage The
large class oi men who would never think Of
buying an Office are at once excluded from
all possibility Of receiving appointments,
and the public must thus do without the
services of its worthiest class Of citiz-ns-
The Offices will be given to men Of easy viz
tue and to those who will bid highest for
them. The Ofhco-Lclier who has thus to
divide his salary with the nan who secured
him his place, is OF course under strong
temptation to make god ms outlay by i'm
proper means if a custom house officer, he
must do some smuggling on his own account;
if IN charge of public money, he will be
likely to use it for his own benefit, in order
to live-and his supcriOrs must wink at such
practices, for they are in the same boat, and |
profit by his malieasance. If the Congress
man sells his Recommendations, the heads of |
departments may sell the Offices, and the |
President sell bs Cabinet appointments |
Where should VIC be, when once this be- /
comes the prevalent system-all Offices sold
to the highest bidder; officials universally
venal salaries raised to the highest point
for the benefit not 60 much of the officer &c
of the appointing power, taxes farmed out
and the people WHO IN the end foot al the
expenses ground down in order that dishon-