New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-06
TIE OLD WHIG- DQCTGLNE.

Mr.. Jeffersons circular, as President enjoininq
Federal office holders to leave the selection
of candidates and tho management of party
politics to Others, has long been universally
! fegaT1't1 as s0mia IN principle as well as
forcible in statement. That same just concep-
ton of the prOprieties Of official position WAS
firmly held and frankly asserted by the eminent
Wing statesmen of later day Witness the
following extract from DANIEL WEBsTER's
speech on the Power of Removal and Appoint
ment, delivered in Senate, Feb. 1G, 1895:
"Tho extent of the patronage springing from this
power OF appointment and removal is great that 1t
brings dangerous Of private and personal inter
ests into operation in all great public elections and pub
| lie questions. The unlimited power TO grant
Office and to take it away gives a command over the
hopes and fears Of vast multitude OF mon II Is Fener
ally true that he who controls mans living controls his
will Office Of every kind ia sought with eX-
traordinary avidty and the condition well under
stood be attached TO every Office high or low IL ndiS-
crimnate support OF Executive measures and implicit
obedience 70 Executive will. am for arrcsng
the further progress Of this Executive patronage, If we
can arrest it, am for staying the further cOntagl0n OF
this plague Sudden removals from Office are
seldom necessary; how seldom, by reference to
the practice Of the Government under all Admlnstra-
tions which have proceeded the present desire
y,
turns man out OF office he should give his reasons for
il TO the Senate when nomnates another person to I'LL
the place The removing power, as recently ex-
ercscd tends to turn The whole body OF public officers
into parisans dependents, fayortes, sycophants and
man.wOrshipers."
Said SERGEANT s. PRENTTss of Miss, in the
House of Representatives, Dec 29, 1883:
Since the avowa OF that urprnciped and barbarian
motto, that To the vlcors belong the spois,' office,
which intended for the and benefit OF the people,
has become but the plumber OF party. Patronage Is
waved like a huge magnet the land, and dcma-
gogucs like iron filings attracted by law OF their ma
ture gather and cluster around its poles. Never yet
lived the dcmagogue who would not take Office.
"Tlo whole frame Of Government, the whole insti-
tuton OF the country thus prostutcd to the uscs OF
party express my candid opinion when aver that I
DO not believe o single Office OF importance within the
control OF the Executive has for the last five years been
filed with any other view. upon any Other consdera-
ton than that OF party effect Occis conferred the
reward OF partisan service.
Do you not the cagerness with which even Gov
ernors Senators and Repre- cntnvcs IN Congress- grasp
at tho most trivial appOinmcns-hc most ineignhcant
emoIumcntsf
THOMAS JEFFERSON, writing, after his cleo
ton rs President, to Gov. Mexican of Pcnna,
with reference to interference by Federal
officers in State Elections, expresses opinions
almost identical.
Now contrast with these utteranccs the
following triumphant proclamation by the
Editor of The Commercial Adgcrtiser, who was
himself worker on the Custom-hOusc side III
the late struggle at Albany, and who wrote
thence to his paper as follows:
"The success Of Henry Smith of Albany for Speaker
is a great triumph for the Reformers. This triumph
strange az it may seem to some people. was brought
about by what THE TRIBUNE Is pleased to call the
CustOm-house crowd II is true, there was delegation
here from the Custom house. and every man did what he
could to secure the success OF Smith. MI
b. Cornell who acted as the head and front Of ne oppos
lion TO Mr. Afford, inspired every man around him with
confidence that Smiths certain To htn ana
Mr Hapal O6cer Latin The Reformers are indebted FOR
the success Of their candidate"
If Senator Howe had only been reader
of The Commercial, he need not have been so
distrustfu of the testimony of Mr. Greeley to
the same effect with the above.