New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-19
PATR0EAaE---ITS STRENGTH AND WEAK
NESS

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| NESS,
1t was not bad practice Of Archilau.
to refuse those who asked, and bestow hi
| favors upon those who did not ask them
Patronage judiciously bestowed vii
achieve great deal for party, but
when badly disposed it arms its antag
onists with very patent and very potent
arguments with the people.
Patronage is by no means a personal
emolument belonging to the incumben,
OF public Office. Upon theory the people
are entitled to the services of the best
men in every Office. The settled usage Of
the country cuts off from competition a
very large minority Of these competitors
still there is an undoubted obligation upon
every officer ;ntrusted with the choice OF
subordinate agents to prefer such as
will reflect upon the administration and
its party adherents additional claims to
public confidence. The first division OF a
people is upon the principles of admins
tration. The great constitutional battle
is fought to determine whether certain
grand and competitive doctrines shall
guide the government. In this battle the
ablest officers and the most solid soldiery
are demanded. When, however, the vic
tory has been gained, its fruits are accessi-
BILE to very different class. The spoils
often come by barter or effrontery into
hands that could never have won them.
The duties Of carrying out the results Of
the victory may thus be committed to
men utterly incompetent to comprehend
or execute the trust. When the people
are called to pass on the merits of the
doctrines thus established, they are prone
to confound them with the dement's of
defaulter or the fragrant prohigacy of a
rewarded favorite. The next party issue,
then, is not upon the comparative excel
lence of the doctrines proposed but upon
the fragrant abuses practiced by those in
trusted with the official execution of these
doctrines A party whose principles have
been engrafted on the political action of a
country may be ign ominiously dismissed
from power solely because Of the malversa-
ton Of its appointments.
Public officers, then, should never be-
heve that party had bestowed upon them
the power of appointment as personal
attribute. To see that such personal adu-
iation is no motive for election to Office,
is shown by the insignifcance of the man
after his powers Of Office have expired.
and ex-mayors walk our
streets by dozens, without attracting any
more regard than their respective merits
as men may demand. The power Of
to Office was never given to
these officers as personal estate. 1t was
given in trust for the benefit of the party
that elected these officers. Whatever of
public confidence resulted to the party
from the service of good appoint
ment, constit uted the vindication of
that party in the esteem of the
people; but if the appointees to Office
proved to be corrupt and incompetent
men, the whole responsibility falls
not upon the public officer who appointed
them, but upon the party from whose
members these minority representatives
we're taken. President Grant has de-
7olved upon the heads of bureaus the
luty of scrutinizing carefully the moral
md clerical qualifications Of their sub
,rdinates, so that he is relieved from
he personal concern of an incompe-
ent appointment The majority of
hese appointments are properly quail
led and so give the country and
he party the benefit of an accurate,
prompt and affable performance of official
luties. If individual officers prove I'M
worthy they are forthwith discharged. |
The public can not expect that no bad |
ppointment will escape the vigilance
# the appointing power, but they do ex-
'ect that upon due demonstration of dis
qualification the error Of appointment will |
Re corrected.
The first duty, then, of those who have
'ublic and party patronage at their dis
osal, is to see, in the Roman idea, that |
be party shall suffer no detriment by its
xercise. 1t is duty to see, moreover
hat the party shall receive the benefit of
faithful exercise of official service
With this obligation perpetually in mind,
be disposing power will inquire in every
ase, is this the best man for the country
nd for the party?
Upon this principle of appointment,
be labors of those who advocate Repub-
can doctrine would be greatly dimin-
she'd. Instead even of being called Oh
, defend the party against the acts of its
Ulcers, they could proudly point in all
asses to the Republican incumbents as
roof of the excellence of those principles
'hich they were appointed to carry out.
4 PITIFUL CRY.
The pitiful cry in this State for white
lan's government is stimulated NV