New-York tribune., 1875-05-15
PAPER BY T.. A. KENT.
TIE ORGANIZATION OF POLITICAL PARTI


the nation. The attainment of political power has
always been one OF the chief objects Of human ambition
No man has been strong enough to govern unaided
all his countrymen The strongest must nave many
assistants In order to attain or keep the supreme power
Of State. Hence political parties must have existed In
every nation In despOtic countries where the masses
are Indifferent to affairs and accustomed to obey
without reelection, whoever seems to be monarch, such
parties may be small obliged to conduct their opera
tOns I'm secrets but sudden and violent revolutions not
unfrequently demonstrate their existence The full de-
veOpment Of political parties to he found only in free
countries They reach their greatest influence and inn
countries where the political power is most widely dis
trbuted. Nowhere is their influence greater than
In the United States. Here the transactions OF
Government, and the movements OF the par,
Ties seeking its control constitute subject OF universal
reading and the thought of the mass OF the people In
which stand chance OF success third - formed IL
usually very small and can exercise an influence only
is likely be short lived, une 1t grows Az to absorb
Of tho other parties and take its place Between the
To one or the other nearly every belongs His choice
may be based on Inherited syInathes On hS jndmeht
eratoIs but Of the two he does and must choose
have lost the confidence large numbers Of the best
and yet it be impossible to form new party WIN any
only when in the OF events new issues Of great i'm
poranco arise which overshadow the old divisions and
fbGss thcre enH eaH 0 be- e hope for political reform
except through the instrumontaity OF one OF the
'wV very sy great I evil conhccted with the management OF
political parties in this country, is that almost all ofces,
high orlow and the Government patlona5e are gwen mas a.
the reward Of party services and changes are made WIN
every political change THIS eyi has gro" clehy our ut
political managers add 10 the zeal OF their partsans by
the of Offices the prizes OF success 10 has been
accepted as practice the more readily, because
there IL neral feeling among the people that olcs
Changed often lest the o.cehoders should form kind
"a arp
ties the most SCI Dish interests class OF olceeeKcrS
@ poc opinions are subornaed to private ends This
class is the most corrupt and corrupting or all engaged
@ oer iG'ii:. classes It Is obvos ~ that the hiscr
Offices whose incumbcnts control the policy
since in no other way can the successful party accom-
pIish the object which il is maintained viz the
hc best only oIices the duties Of which are Of minis
oria judicial character, not dependins upon CONFLICT
inS political opinions can he expected 10 DC rescued from
liability 10 change with every change OF party sdeh
Offices sd in part G sie srgs ana m p s py terms or
elective Offices, and have the elections occur at Il tle as
greater the excitement OF any political contest the
difficult ii is to get men to reject The parry eahdl-
on the other side In Presidential contest, national
issues override e,eS other ana Sa IN ne %Se wa Do re
cal questions at stake, men are much more likely 10
lay aG u 9 ky H Would have eTofe ae a
pontments ministerial offices made for detnt, and
S f EHs RS ccon ap efpS would ID take ns away
tLe POWER of removal hy the Executive, except
nnt"n n would he we'll also 10 prescribe by law GER
necessary qualifications FOR all the more important
positions, to be determined by an examining board
These conditions should include chaIactcrand experience
sufficient the candidates for the positions sought as
well as knowledge The rule rs to executive app0lnt-
ments should be cXcn led To appointments made by in
feor officers The only limit Of tue rule should be as TO
government employees who are needed only for an un-
certain time, depending upon the work TO be done, and
who therefore must be discharged when the work IL
finished II may be sad that ths plan would make IN
ferior officers too independent and lead To insuborna-
ton They ought to have much greater degree of inie
for partisan purposes And the causes OF removal could
be made sufficiently comprehensive to give the snperiors
third great OWL is found the growing difficulty of
for even very important offices One OF this di-
Guilty found in the insufficient salaries frequently paid
measure the salaries 10y their incomes, and do not
sufficiently realize the truth that services requiring high
reouires ought to receive corresponding pav.
other department this cause SO prominent as IN that of
the Judiciary. Judicial salaries brought INTO com
parson with the incomes of members OF the bar They
ought be not much inferior Ia those of the Leading
members they the bench is likely to be ieI win
second third class lawyers In some states and
Michigan is of these. the nsutiieiency Of judicial
salaries evil OF great magnitude and 1t threatens
serious decline In the standing OF our Judges There Is
remedy except in the gradual enlightenment OF the
people. - A.. ,... ,,,, ,.., ,,,,.,,,;,,. .,
become candidates for office lies in the fact that
and conventions often managed by politicians,
who are corrupt selfseclng that good man cannot
receive nomination unless ny the use o means Wlcn
distastefu If not dsOn0Iabe lhe first necessity
generally requisite selseekng and this is one Of the
things most unpleasant to good men Ana man VINO
by long OF devotion TO some professional bus-
ness, has lifted himself for mpsrant pubic Co oee e !,
Of much inferior ability who has Devoted hnlseli 10
learning the ways ~ ThSh %hcFS o, aTe oned by
executive appointment the struggle is ofen equally M
pleasaI The appointments arr usually made on recon-
mmenJations To ask for recommendation, aud press
.h alaps for gu office Is task not easy ior nlg-
minded man, but yery easy i0g al eApegeHcea 0lVe-
stl greater reason why IT hard to ind fit eand
dates for offices hed by popular election rs ioha IN te
canvass. Where the Office Is one of considerable IN
portancc. the candidate expected Ia devote his whole
time the work. To the neglect of al his usual business
TO contribute considerable sum towards election ex,
his district and than ALL TO 20 into the lowest
% tSr @h'Gs oce%nat msH and even nh %e 2 nm 6r The
qualification OF their vices in order that Their votes may
our great cities overflow With incTeatins liquors pnr
chased ut the expense of the candidates Constant de-
Implied assertion that their contributions necessary
to They must almost literally become nll
With the dssipated iy With the hy Corrupt with the
corrupt, in order that by all means they may win votes
Ths kind OF elcc;iOnccr Is usually deemed necessary
by the political Managers AMI there Is 40 doubt II Is
ally more m0veable than any other. Here is found "a
large share OF the i0atng vote WcA IN close contests
decides the election. II is evident that such eectoneer
Ing must b. impossible for all highn.nded men. No
poor who Is honest aiOrd II. The consequence
Is that more and more the struggle for many high Offices
Is left rich who ambitious and INSCRIPTIONS
to poor nen WHO are much worse and can by corrup
UOn 1nUks pOuucs pfOHtaplt.
What remedy exists for such evsi The one most
monty suggested Is that good men must take deeper
interest political matters must attend all the caucuses
and exercise a controlling influence No language seems
too strong IN which 10 enforce this duty Ia should he
taught to a the children Ia the comman schools and on
forced from every pulpit. There is no duty b. ones
country sacred than that OF doing everything pos
sibo Ia give 1t good rulers The American elLen Who
IN pursuit OF wealth OK professional or literary
distinction, artistic culture. or religious growth neg
lects 10 exercise his proper influence III the party 10
which he belongs s unworthy Oi the blessings of Tree
government, and should receive public condemnation
dstasteul, but duties Not binins accounting 10 their
agreeabeiess but according TO their Importance We