New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-11-16

ings of somebody in the other village, but the
ability and honesty of the candidates for
either Office. Bear in mind that according 10
their own profession the lobby -haunters were
entirely disinterested in their struggles for an
endangered land, and you will see
that at any rate they have no claims merely
upon the party; and yet during the whole adj
iustment of this complicated arrangement of
the public service, we hear of nothing but
claims, claims, claims, as if the Administration
had borrowed something and was refusing to
nav. 1t should be, once for all, understood
that the Administration owes nothing of the
kind to anybody 1t is simply right that in its
general policy it should conform TO the opn-
ions of the party which elected it. In order to
effect. this, so far as a great many 0liceS are
concerned, it is necessary to appoint men Shar-
ing the opinions of the Washington Govern
ment Some such line must be pursued to save
it from embarrassment. But 1t is under no
obligation to appoint to place incompetent or
dishonest men simply because they have
been unusually active and prominent in the
Presidential canvass; and yet how many apply
for Office with no other qualification except that
they have been eager and industrious partlsans!
If better men can be found for the places, with
only the drawback that they have been little
less eager and industrious members OF The party,
why, in the name of common sense, should con
fdence be withheld from them
The main point, it seems to us, should be TO
have the public business well done. There may
be. although their existence is hardly probable,
forlorn and G cd -forsakcn communities in which
no honest Republican can be found for Post
master, and in such case we should certainly
be in favor Of intrusting the management OF the
mail-bags to some honest Democrat who
would DO prompt and not pilfcr letters. IL
would be very bad thing for the country to
have it understood that under no circumstances
of personal ability or official integrity IS
Johnsonized Democrat to be kept IN office II
so much az Dcmora!izcd Republican can he
found to take his place. If, in the man, the
places must go to the men of the party as we
suppose they must, is there no way of avoid
ing the fuss aud the scramble the mancuyer-
ing and intriguing, the personal feuds and
fghtings, the grab and the grcediness which
the Fourth of March has so often witnessed q
Washington ? This is very difficult question
TO answer but it is plain enough that nothing
can be gained by repeating existing laws. II
the Tenurc-of Office law will perhaps save Gen.
Grants life, why should it not remain unds-
turbed If Presidents are to be generally
bored to death by the impecUnous and the
empty belliCd bowling about the White House
for pap, and making continual teaze aud
trouble, we warn the country that, much as
men usually love place and power it will he
found before long that no person OF ability o.
self-respcct will take an office, the holding OF
which must abolish his privacy and destroy
his comfort and diminish his scf-rcspect and
make him either madman, a driycirs idiot,
or a cOhined corpse.