, 1870-10-12
FEDERAL INTERFERENCE IN STATE
POLITICS.


FEDERAL INTERFERENCE III STATE
POLITICS.
1t has long since passed into the &c
ceiie,l Ie,1i,ical morality Of the country,
that. in the distribution y. patronage, the
party in puwsr shHll prefer its own mem
when there is change
in parties ruling the government, the de-
fen:esl ius accept without Iuuruiut the en-
fnrcement Of the rule which forces them
TO give room to the victorious outs. Bnt
aud controversies in the party in any State,
coneetnius local afaifs, the successive
Presidents of the United States have gen.
orally considered it improper, ipdecorous,
at4i altogether offensive to he askcI even
10 ,l>e their power Ut appointment mud re- :
uaovas in t.ehalf OF any faction Of his OWE
party. THIS las been the rule Of all nd
u,iuiatrstious, one excepted, since the days
when removals from Office for political
cause were frst invented. The man
who would have asked jackson 10
remove an ctlice-hnlder because lie
Was related to somebody else would
have retired frou, the Executive presence
ra.her prccipitately. Even John Tyler
never wuuiI have listened to IN appeal 10
dismiss a man from Office becalse he was
the personal friend of somcbody else, or
bccnusc he did not bluster and swear that
The CaptAiu Of one faction of party,
divided ull i local issue, was scounlrel,
and the Captain Of the other was saint
Presidents Lave frequently given the moral
weisht of thrir i:-anence to aid their own
party in carrying an election, IS against
the orw'Sing I:Hrty Of the country, but to
Interfere directly, and particularly By the
rc,noval of Que set Of ofice-b1lders and
ihv appointment uf another, has been co.,
aidcrci as too patty and small business,
hy every administration, except that of
Buchanan.
Tie popular sense OF liberty and fair
dealing reyoit> whar public officer ven
trtes to iiirrfcre with The domestic policy
OF anx portion of the people John
Wilkes l'.v.t,4e d. t.ers,, aud Won fame, not
*, much l"csrlss, Of any merit of his OWL,
as 1ccausc b. was the representative OF the
principle that the .peaple had right 10
elect whom they p1eased, without any
dicta,iou from tie crown or cabinet For
many years the fteen1en of Middlesex pre-
fesred to he ,1urepreseuted in Parliament
1n:.cr .l,un ,s..--..:: 10 executive dictatiou-
The popular se.,se Of right is unchanged
Ivy time and p,scc aud ne suppose there is
not a enuut.y OF State in this broad land
where the cxu,urlu of the freeu,eu Of Mid
dl"s,.x ~ulilu uu, lie repeated rs fsarlessly
and as Iersi,teu.ly. The President of the
United :,tatrs is elected to perform certain
high duties He is lnade the representative.
for the time 1'c;ag, Of the national will.
The Aulericzln people have never been
wanting in respect for the Office, and
&hvugA tLero may have been instances in
which the incumbent fell short of popular
expectation III fitness and in capacity,
the peorle have always been forbearing+
tolerant. and respectful They have &C,
laowlelgel their own responsibility fox
the selection, aud generally rsfrained fruu,
nns1uursng. Int have kept up n pretty
steady thinking.
We ha,l notable instance Of Federa
interference. in State elections during Bu
chanan'a administration; Bo nptahle, in
deed, That IL. country can hope TINT M
other allrin stratiun, wishing to rethi,
public respect, will initiate the CT
ample, or invite ike 1ebake- Haral,
had the old Public Functionary satisfies
himself tLat he Lad been elected Presi
dent. when he indited letter to tie Demo
crats uf the Pennsylvania Legislature. di
1rct;ns 1her to elect he1,chman Of Iii
iu .Le Cnlled S,ates Senate. How Has j
treAted: Though the President Was abou
10 enter upon his Office, md had the cntir
patronage OF the government at his di1
l.o>al. Democratic Legislature, even j,
ttc Saute VI pennsylvania, indignant
s,nr7lt.3 the interference, resented it rs d
insult, snd refused TO elect the E1ecutiy
nominee. 4 year or more later, 81
Douglas, Of this State, thought proper
taltIer from &he President upon u quesio
vf public rs,licy- Tho Democratic party
this State, s2isregar1ing tho PRESIDENT
wishes, endorsed a1r. Douglas, and mas
hin their ca.1ldate for Reelection 10 Il
Seuate. The President, from his plsce
tl,.. Nlite House, caused il to be nla'
known. through his unlerstFappcss' tn
The administration wished tho Democrn
Of Illinois 10 elect sume o,hcE person tn
l,oussas to the Senate This ancoune
; uent ,uatle uo change in the condition
p. affairs. The President then called ate
,iou to the fact that the Douglas conve
tim had omitted to pass r
: ulu,ion arprnving the admin
tra,lun, and Suggested that
Democracy assemble in convention q
supply ah1s omission. No one n'ost