The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-28
WEDNESDAY, APRIL ss, 1869.
THE TNFL UENCE OF OFFICE HOLDERS
IN NATIONAL POLITICS.


THE Constitution of the United States declares
that mo Senator or Representative, or person
holding an Office of trust or profit under the
United States, shall be appointed an elector."
The obvious intent of this clause is to prevent
persons officially connected with the National
Government from exercising undue influence in
Presidential elections. 1t is evident, however,
that this end cannot be obtained without much
additional legislation and a radical change in
the existing partisan machinery. The trainers
of the Constitution seem to have anticipated
that the electors would exercise unrestricted
judgment in the choice of n President and Vice
President, whereas they have practically be-
come mere automatons, casting their votes
invariably for the candidates nominated
by national conventions. These conventions do
the work which the founders of the republic had
allotted to the Electoral College; and instead of
this work being beyond the influence of sena-
tors, Congressman, aud national office-holders,
they usually control it. The partisan system
prevailing before national conventions were
organized was even worse than the present one,
for under IL Presidential candidates were chosen
by Congressional caucuses. The conventions
were first devised mainly for the purpose of pre-
venting men in office from perpetuating their
power, but as this object Is only attained in a
very imperfect degree, it is evident that much
more drastic change will be necessary to give
the people full liberty to select their Presidents
without the interference of the official servants
who so often aspire to become the virtual
masters of the nation.
In England it is the universal custom, we be-
eve, for all persons who hold subordinate offices
to abstain strictly from active interference in
partisan movements, and SO far is this idea car
ried that the employees of the Post Office Depart
Ill Md ali
tions for members of Parliament. In this coun-
try the active influence of office-holders in
partisan movements was also formerly re-
sisted but it now seems to be distinctly
understood between Congressman and Sena-
tors and the persons whose claims
to Office they endorse that the recipients of
public patronage shall actively exert themselves
not only to secure the reelection, from ti-neF to
time, of their patrons, but to have len delegates
as they select appointed 70 local State, and ma
tional conventi9ds.. OF all the agencies en-
ployed to Secure the denomination of common
placeNor incompetent men, none is so powerful
qS this lever of patronage. There is scarcely an
appointee who is not much impressed with
the necessity of promoting the aspirations OF his
patron as best he can, in nominating conven-
tions, as with the Importance OF att4n-
ton to his legitimate public duties. The
leading national otce-holders, with
all their subordinates, feel bound,
as a rule, to promote the denomination OF the
President from whom they obtained their com
missions, while the postmaster and revenue oil
GERS of each district actively endeayor to sec1re
the denomination of the Congressman who was
their serviceable friend at Washington. JAS these
official torces are all well drilled and as they
usually Lack neither the time nor the dis
position to concentrate their efforts in the most
effective manner, their aggregate influence Is
well-nigh overwhelming and it is only on rare
occasions that the people are unable to resist
their Vaccinations.
From this system manifold evils arise. Con-
gressmen are much more apt to endorse the
claims of such applicants for appointments as
will prove useful to them individually, than to
recommend the men who are most competent
and who would be most useful to the country.
The office-holders, in turn work for the re-
nomination of their friends rather than for the
elevation of the candidates who are best fitted
to represent their respective districts in the
councils of the nation. The people, in many
instances suffer double loss in having incom-
petent officials as well as incompetent Repre-
septatiyes or Senators fastened upon them. These
evils are constantly increasing in magnitude,
and it will be difficult to resist them, unless
something like the English system is estab-
lished in this country, and the rule imperativey
laid down that offce-holders shall not be
allowed to influence the action of either Con-
eressional, State, or national conventions.