Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1872-12-04

~ demaod Tor q N the kePsblic.n platform
=. aud the President's evident intention ,
B. sdhsriRgiO bis eouvie'lOos. give . ssr
). aud special interest 10 the ,abjeci. Il /,
o therefore. useful 10 inquire precisely ~h.
= the new method Is and -hsi improvemeu
Il promises. The "spOil." system is 4.
a miiiar TO every body. IL ia sys,eu
n which makes all the minor PoAinOns usds
: government the reward Of partisan aciivi
!. ~. Tue chief qualification for them i
No, character or capacity. but eficiene,
at caucSses and 1t elections. The Office,
are given TO Influence. - aud InHurnc,
r means political Prominence. The result,
OF this 'ystcm AZ. a. familiar as lis prae.
,ice. They are almost without exception
Pernicious. A Presidential election be.
comes contest for plUBdsr. aud con.e.
quenIly eIeites aud exssperstes the wort
passions.
There are but two arguments for the
present evil system which have any ap-
Pearance Of reason. Que 10 that the Rsp.
Preventative. being elected BY the prefer.
ence Ofhis drtricr, is to be regarded as
it, ge"eral political agent or attorney in
the government, and must know better
than any body else is likely TO know who
should be appointed TO the various Offices
ia the district. The other is that a new
broom sweeps clean. aud that bett sery.
ice is to be expected Of fresh hands than
OF old hacks. But il is because both of
these arguments with others of the
same kini' are proved by experience
to be fallacious that there is such n deem
desire oil change among intelligent citizens.
IL is enough 10 say that the duties of a
Representative are legislative and specific.
aud that he can not attempt 10 usurp a
share in the executive a!ministrat ON
Without betraying his trust. Moreover.
experience proves, what little rea,ct,pp
would suggest. that the junction " hich he
mus usuris Is not discharged for the pub.
nc welfare but for his private interest.
Thus when General Butler says that he
KNOWS better then any body who ought to
De po''mas'ers III his distna. he merely
claims thar he is the best Judge in a case ,
n which he is interest ed
As Tor the new broom theory, il is an
'rgument 1nly upon the assumption tina,
IS Il ne" brOom. and that the sole pur. :,
ose oil taking 1t is that it may sw,ep a..
'ean. But this is not the fact. The +,
hcers are appointed hot because of their s.
special competence and experience. ur,on d
'hich alone any expectation of cleaner N
weeping could rest, but on other cons;d. .,
fatlons entirely. They know that they VI
fooaoiy hold only until stronger pres. SC
re than that which puts them IN il m
rought to bear to put them out. More. r,
'er' the place is the regard of past serv. h
G. and future service is supposed to be OF
condition. To expect reforms in the B.
ADMINISTRATION OF such an officer Is almost b,
tile aud fact, the "hack" who WA. al;
u 1 rtmoied, al.n the assumption thut al
was hack, continues to perform all Nv
substantial duties 0 + the hlgeer Office wa
lis arg i"ent Of the new broom prcsup. Fl
ses appointment for fitness only. and va
erelore has no relevancy whatever to q Til
stem Of appointment by influence. The tu,
cory OF appointment by influence is good III,
ough TOR It is that the President beipg No,
'c'ed by the people, and surrounding inf
HseIi with cabinet, he aud they no.
I'VE only honest recommendations and
point only worthy men. That is the ma
'ofy' But 1t Can not possibly be the 10
'c''ce' because the appointing power TIL
ISL depend upon recommendations, and VIII
concentrations are interested. are
The practical question. therefore. !, had
ee the appointing power eau no, posi-. Wit
personally know all the candidate, ofic
are presented and urgen, how can il cou
n
y INFORM itself? Aud experience hay. the
demonstrated that the present method Hal
asceFtaining fitness has ridculousIy in
ed, the President propose s another sup
Gu ne is trying. 1t may be said gen. thsy
~ to be twoiold method. In thu tric
pace, II vacancy occurs III higher con'
tlon OF any branch OF the service h. still
hrst ascertain whether any subordi accc
is qualified TO fill it before :. flow
IS elsewhere; while to the ,os;. ed t,
; those applicants shall be appointed theil
gave been found competent be actual Hav
Snga''on' and not those who are only
'g'y pressed by politicians. To saw
not to promote in every instance IA 70 body
ha'izc oil who arc not promoted as M. walt
'o'''sh' because many man may be 20 r'
'etenf for an office for which he il vet while
many grounds. unavailable. Again the t
0usly to require pro nation in av.r ferinJ