Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-09-19
The SpOils of Cincinnati.

WE spoke last week of the exquisite
comedy of Mr.. SchurZ's letter to Mr..
Greeley, the candidate of civil service re-
form, as he is facetiously called, asking if
it were true that he was habitually sur
rounded by disreputable politicians, and
how the problem of the reform presented
itself to his mind. MIR. Greeley replied
in effect that he would be a one-term
President, that one-term Presidents had
no temptation te make bad appointments,
and consequently that he should make
good ones. This reply seems to have sat
istied Mr.. Schurz, although it is not easy
to see why. For it is mere assumption
that the desire of re- election is the only
or the chief temptation to the abuse of
the appointing power. But what must
Mr.. Schurz have thought upon reading
the only carefully prepared speech which
his candidate has made in the cam
paign, and which plainly states the worst
doctrine of the spoils system?
Mr.. Greeley's words are these, and we
invite all thoughtful men who understand
the evils and difficulties of the present
system to consider them carefully:
"In two or three instances have been asked to
say whether [ would or would not, If elected,
connne my appointments to Republicans. 1answer
these by pointing to that plank of the Cincinnati
platform wherein all who concur in the principles
therein set forth are CORDIALLY invited to participate
in their establishment and vindication. / never
yet heard of man who invited his neighbors to
help him raise house, and proceeded to kick
them out of it as soon as the roof was fairly over
his head. For my own part l recognize every
honest man who approves and adheres TO the Gin
cinhati platform as my political brother. and, as
such, fully entitled to my confidence and friendly
regard"
This is merely dextrous statement of
the old and familiar and fatal doctrine,
which is the very root of the evil in the
civil service, that to the s'victor belong
the spoils of the enemy" 1t has gained
in prolixity since Mr.. Marcy first announ-
ced it, but it has not changed its character.
MIR. Greeley, speaking to an audience of
which a very large part was composed of
Democrats, says that he expects to be
elected by the combined votes of Demo
Gratis and Republicans, and that all those
who adhere to the Cincinnati platform
and the Cincinnati candidates, whatever
they may have been before, may expect
to share in the distribution of offices.
The Democrats who vote for me, says
MIR. Greeley in substance, will be treated
in this matter quite as well as the Re-
publicans. That was a skillful bid for
votes in Maine; for, as one of the warm
advocates of MIR. Greeley just returned
from that State says that ninety mine per
cent. of the Democrats and twenty-five
per cent of the Republicans will vote for
Greeley and Brown, the Democratic
chances for Office will be as four to one.
But in the Southern States, where the
ratio of the Democratic vote will be so
much greater than elsewhere in the coun.
try, there will be universal reform OF
Republicans out of Office and Democrats
In.
We ask any man in this country whe
understands and would correct the evils
of our present civil service system
whether he thinks that one method OF
correction is the election of a candidate
who elaborately declares that to the vic
tor belong the spoils Mr. Greeley does
not say that if he should be elected, and g
vacancy in an Office should occur, he
would fill it by the person who was found
to be most qualified, but he says that he
never heard of a man who invited his
nelghbors to help him raise house, anC
proceeded to kick them out of it as soor
as the roof was fairly over his head" Tht
fact that they helped him to raise the roo
is enough. The laborer is worthy of hi!
hire. A vote for Greeley is valid CLAIM
for Office. Now the Cincinnati platform
declares that "honesty, capacity and fidel
ity constitute the only valid claim to pub
lie employment" Could there be a NOR
amusing comment upon the Cincinnati
platform than this speech of the Cincin
natl candidate Moreover, if it had beel
General Grant who had used the meta
phor of raising a roof over his head, hov
unanimously and vociferously the NOR
ardent of our Greeley friends would hav
exclaimed "What does he really thinl
that the Presidency is his property, s.
that he speaks of it as a house, and of hi
election as of raising a roof over hi
head ?''-Harpe,'s Weekly.