, 1876-01-08

furnish the currency and perform tno 1unc-
!ions Of banking to tho full extent required.
Lot Senator MORRILL, remember Tint there
aro dcbts now outstanding, contracted on au
T., per cent paper basis, to the amonnt OF
81, 900, ,oOO, GOO {iva billions), and tho sudden
withdrawal of all paper currency, as provided
by his bill, whilo wholly unnecessary, would
bo to arrest tho whole business Of the coun-
try without in the least accomplishing any
good OBJECT which would not follow ~ well
without it.
"To THE VICTOR BELONG The sp01La."
The degrading scramble for tho spoils Of
Office on the part Of professional politicians |
III the curse Of our politics. HAMILTON long |
nso pointed out TINT tho struggle for tho
great honor, dignity, aud fame Of the Prcsi-
dency would DO dangerously intense, but ho
uever dreamed that the struggle would in
volvc, every four years, tho possible displnce-
mont of Go,000 ol1ico-Aolders, with tho beg
gary, perhaps, OF the half million people de-
ponlent upon them. The fortunes md fates
of these pooplo hre bound up with tho re-
election of the President or the election Of
the candidate OF his party. Tho Executive
hollis their prosperity o. ruin In hiR hands
Tho interests intorlinkal with partisan suc-
cess are sometimes inconceivably petty, md
10 ali the moro humorous. 4 writer on
American history snys that ho oncc knew an
applswoman On Wall stroot who was ardentIy
desirous Of the success Of certain candidate
for tho Presidency, because her "old man"
had bocn prorni ,od some other poor fellows
place as porter in the Custom-H House, provided
there was n change in tho roigning party at
Washington. When such anomalous poyers
over the menus Of living Of tens Of thousands
have been added to the legitimate authority
OF the Presidency, tho struggle which Hat
11ros feared becomes ten-foll rs violent as
oven hiH fearful fancy painted it. Corr1lp-
ton, pecula:ion, embezzlement, fraud, asBess-
ments for political purposes, bargain and
sale, Iobbery,-thoso ars the inevitable cor
ollaries logically dependent upon the propo-
sition: "To tho victor belong the epoi!s."
| That maxim poisons our politics. We ara In
lobtetl for It to the theory Of one Democratic
lealor, Wu1AM L. MAnoY, and the practice
of another, ANDREW JACKSON. Slnlrm as the
Democracy may, they cannot escape the re-
sponsibility OF originating und nationalizing
tho pornicous practice by which the Ameri-
can Union hRs beon cursed for forty-gi1
years.
Until the inauguration Of JACKSON, MI tho
removals from Office for other reason than In
competency or unfaithfulness by tho Presi-
deuts could almost be counted on one's fin
gsrs. Tho number was almost nil, and al
tue changes wero made "for cause" In.
competency and incapacity were tho only two
rocks upon which tho offlcial career Of I
servant Of the United States could bs
wrecked. The Democracy crantcd Others
the arbitrary will Of 4 single pasty chieftain
the dislike Of some local politician, tho fail
ire to pay partisan assessment, lukowasu
parliBnnship, and so on. Their system, rig
oroualy and almost necessarily carried OIL
since, has well-nigh destroyed sttosmanshi]
In the United States, and has nlado politics
trade.
With JACKSON, tho first President electes
by tho Democratic party. the era OF cor
ruption began. There was wild rush Q
greedy partiHana to Washington, and til
:, guillosino was kept busy choPpiug off olticis
heads from morning to night. It Is estimate
that 1000 removals were made within a yen,
This waa q very large percentage Of Il,
whole number Of persons in tue Civil Eeryie
. at that time. The Offices thus foscibly ',
:. cated ranged from the chict-clerkshlps {
the Departments to snoh plnces as those q
lester-ca.ricr, aud fanitors, The Diplomat
Service WAS treated in the same way. Gel
n HaHn1soN, afterwards President, WINS Mini
:. r,,,,.,1,o ,vhon I.c~v.<, ,voa Inn,
u wa
.s | BuEateo. 11e 4aa couseaousi5 oFPosea sAot
J. sosS 1netnoo OF confusing sos een''ho
70 war aaa aau aetonaoo n&shf o1Af ITO