New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-29
TILE BEST MEN FOR OFFICE.

| CORRUPTION THE INEVITABLE RESULT OF VICIOUS
POLITICAL CoDE-"wE CANNOT AFFORD III ANY
LONGER"
To the Edftor Of The Tribune.
| SIR: On my way hither from my home IN
Denver COL have been much interested In reading III
THE TRmuSg nm article headed Can Afford 1t any
Longerav You draw fearful picture OF the prevalnhg
corrupons of political SYSTEM and wisely suggest
II the people would only take the trouble to name the
best for every place OF trust however minute OF
temporary should soon see change Tor tho po'o'
But how are the people go at this important workf IL
Seems to me that the first practical movement III ms III
iecton must be tho removal Of tho great impeachment
that Is now and for years past been In their way
mean self seeking candidacy for Office 30 long az the
public sentiment tolerates oceseckers and the means
they resort securing places OF trust ana power Tue
naming OF the best by the people Is mpra"tieaDe
They must first the field OF olceeekeis they
can freely and fairly their best for places OF
trust SO long as may with public approval SET
themselves up candidates before nominating con'eh
fons they will continuc resort to the usual means Oi
securing nominations and elections. They VIII rally thcr
personal friends into the they will secure active
supporters by pledges Of personal aNors II eected 'ey
will pay the expenses of others to work for them ana
TO those who have influence I'm the ward and precinct IN
| calling ont tho masses, and no other than pccun.n'
objects to control them, they will pay larger or smaller
sums in proportion to the importance OF the ONCE ana
the influence exerted And by these means In general
i
and obtaining support OF the party Does any one
supposc that such candidate, II elected by resort to
these and familiar means, Will be mo Dest
man for pace That lie who has fosted himself INTO
place Of trust, the usual manner, By corrupt ana u-
fair means will be good and true officer, is not fea-
sonabc presumption
The time was when political corruption was the exeep-
ton instead Of being rule, but II WAS before
the public sentiment had become perverted MS TO to
crate the open and avowed ofceseeker and his appi-
ances carrying nominations and elections ~ was at
tho time when convict nm of seeking an Office was
10 defeat him 1t was when the moral sense OF the pD
lie reyoed at the aulacity Of the sefseeking cand-
date when il was supposed that the who put him.
self forward rs worthy OF public confidence, was want
ng in modesy, that he had personal oWtct 10 serve III
seeking the occ-an TO grind; when resort 10 COZ
rupt means to an Office was resaidcd us Pf'"u
fac;e evidence that the officer elected wonld be cor
rup Many Of your older readers may remember tnose
times and careful study Of political history VIII
clearly point them ALL Though not anteceden To
party stres 10 before the whole machinery Oh Inc
Government had been prosuted to partisan puipoSc''
IL WAS before the watcworl OF banditd ma been nc
cepled as tenet OF political morals; 1t was before tie
announcement OF the code fha TO the yictofs DeohS tue
snoily Hinder this code Jackson introduced the system
OF removing from office the tried and faithful for political
opinions to give place to personal anu pocii Iici''
Tbouch olous to the moral Of the people at first
his triumphant approved It, III has Decn the ro
| Pfeailcnt
p,tronage OF the Government No President since mas
been able 10 withstand the temptations OF the example
Under this rue men have been selected for Office on ac
count of party services rather than moral worth and III
ness. The evils Of the system were soon manifested
Public punlerers have been the Legitimate l. ut o. tnis
decentralization the present time IL IL ie5iiihu'e to
suit OF vicious political code Laws have been enacted
TO punish the offenders, but proper effort seems 10
have been made to prevent them from getting into Office
The Jcrsonan test for appointments Is ne capable
is he honest he faithful TO the constitution mas
been SET aside the modern est" what service can he
render TO party what has he done Tor thiS OF
that Congressman In tho way OF packing conventions
and contributing of his labor and means to his sccc
Often BY this rule the most unprinciped and unseru
pilos are ahead corruption has the highest sanct"h
and the corrupt politician has the strongest claim ana
of course the pablo service is demoralizel.
Nor this all for by the scliseckng ofcehunter the
pcole themselves are cheated AMI dcmoralzed The eX-
nnpcs I'm high places followed below in city county,
ana town elections No wonder in declining TO put him
self forward Us a candidate for Governor of Ohio, exsen
aor Wade conclud "a that II this glorious Government
Of ours ~ ever destroyed Il will be by oiice-seekers
40 wonder that in view Of the fearful corrupons when
arc daily being exposed and which rs have shown are
the results oncc-Sockng, You cry ont, "Cln VIC Afford
il any Ion ger wonder the patriot s Is agast 1T
tho decline, looking for tire fall OF onr republic The
remedy which yOu Suggest, OF putting the best men ia
ONCE IL practc.d, will dounajS be ehectnaL But
this cannot be done without system c effort The pab-
lie sense OF propricty which condemns all ofcesaekcrs
must aroused and made effective. 1t must be made
efficient by organization Let every newspaper In The
land OF what 3ver party, that rises above aud condemns
bribery, speak against the oiliceseekcr and the
people will say, Amen!" Let nominating conventions
defeat him; let party platforms cond0nn him. And II
he succeeds in securing nomination. let the people de-
feat him the polls ana we shall In time rid our coun-
try Of his bgting Influence, and save the Government
Public sentiment Mt this easily he aroused TO the
importance OF ths change In our political practices
| Tho Independent voter Is abroad, and his only
object is good government The party that fist
| puts itself directly against all oGlcescckers, and
fairly and independently nomina'es its best men
for Office will undoubtedly have the vantageground.
This will be q Civil Service Reform begun the right
place, and it will succeed
In Colorado where we abOnt to organize a State
government, best men ana leading Journals al
re ly aroused to the importance OF this question They
are determined to have good government of wise and
judoous laws administered by honest and faithful Off
GERS selfseekng candidate for office is already
demned by public sentiment The Republican Central
Committee recently held an important meeting ard de-
tcrmned to put all Of their influence against it, AS the
first step the movement the Committee decided n
favor OF nonpartisan, constitutional conventional
vention to be selected by peoples conventions from
among the OF the State respectvey OF party
when the Republican party dominates its candidates for
State officers they will he selected from the best Of
the party personal candidates for the places
| and unless the Democrats adopt the policy they
will certainly defeated for the public sentiment In
favor this policy strong and growing stronger
fu aud extended observation And trust the powerful
influence TUE TRIBUNE will aid their noble efforts
wise and just honest and pure government for the Cen
tennial State am, very respectfully, JonS EVANS.
Heo-York, May 90. 1873.
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