New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-13
A Nou.SeQuitur.

AJAX. 0oIuolU ms 1uOW4 tu6t . pA0AA eAA
can not obtain possession of oontroverted
property on the weakness of an adversary
title, but upon the strength Of his own. In
like manner the Democracy could not
claim possession of the government, even
were the incumbents unfit, unless upon
some demonstration of Democratic compe'
tency. Unfortunately, the Democratic
record is sadly defective, both in moral and
mental capacity, to administer public Office.
We clip from that old, reliable, Repub.
icsn Wing organ, the Baltimore american,
some record notices Of the Golden age of
Democracy" The Amernan having lived
an honest life for more than century, has
known the Democracy under all it's pre-.
lenses:
Long before Jackson's election New York
politics had become anonymous with cor
ruption. Jefferson is said to have expressed
regret when, in 1921. Van Buren, was elected
to the United States Senate, saying that he
would introduce into the Federal admins
tration tho spoils system Of New York. The
New York system Of prescription a. it
was called, was the dread of the Demo
cratic Republicans" of the Jefferson school,
and one of the things urged against the
confirmation of Van Burens appointment
as minister to England was that he was an
INSCRIPTIONS practitioner Of the spoils sys-
tenn. The most prominent advocate of Van
Buren's claims was Senator Marcy, of New
York. who laid down the now historic Dem
0cratic doctrine, that 'tO the victors belong
the spoi!s." His obligations to Van Buren,
may be judged by the following extract
from Q letter written by Van Buren, to Jesse
Hoyt, afterwsrd collector Of the port of New
York:
ALBANY, February 8, 1929.
Jesse Hoyt. Esa-
DEAR SIR-Ic is impossible to Judge cor
rectiy without view of the whole ground.
Some two or three weeks before the meet
ing of the Legislature Sudan, by letter, re-
ouested my neutrality. showed it to Mr..
Butler General B. F. and with his sp.
probation replied that would consider it
nv duty under all the circumstances not to
interfere. BrOnson's friends had the ad-
dress to push Dudley into the Senate, and
Marcy was 30 situated that I must make
him Judge or ruin him.
This was written while Van Buren, was
Governor OF New York and related to the
division Of the spoils. Shortly afterward
State in Jackson's Cabinet. The election
of jackson was followed by fearful charge
of the New York ofice-seekin2 brigade
upon Washington. The tone of the public
service may be inferred from the following
portion of letter written by an active
New York politician;
WASHINGTON, March IA, 1929.
Ny Dear Jesse (Hoyt)
Your very beautiful and interesting let
ter of the eighth was received in due course
of law. hold to your doctrine fully. that
no id rascal who made use Of his office,
or it's profits, for the purpose Of keeping
Mr.. Adams in and General Jackson out of
power is entitled to any lenity or mercy,
save that of hanging. So We think both
alike on that head. Whether or not shall
get anything in the general scramble for
plunder remains to be proven; but l rather
certain, perhsps keeper OF the Bergen light
~ SAM SWARTWOUT.
Svartwout wss appointed collector of the
mort of New York, and held it during jack
sons administration. He seems to have
been allowed to keep his accounts a. he saw
fit and make returns as he pleased. He
finally fed to South America, having en-
bezzled money of the government to the
amount of 81, 205,035 60.
This Jesse Hoyt to whom Swartwout's let
tor was written, YVES disappointed in the
scramble for piunder at that time, and
then Secretary Of State. Among other gems
of Democratic political doctrine contained
in that letter is the following:
"For my political education am mainly
indebted to you, and I have learned that
politics is q matter of dollars and cents, and
adherence to party the only hope Of gain.
You are aware my fidelity and faithtulness
have benefited you. I may say here that
have been promised your aid, and that l
have strong claims on you az party man
and personal friend"
Manipulation of election returns was
known in those days, and when Tilden
iseusd his famous circular devising . plan
for early returns of the vote outside of New
York city, 80 that enough votes might be
put down for the city to neutralize the Re-
publican majority in the rest OF the State.
he only followed precedents established by
the political schoo! in which he was reared.
On November 8, 1923, during tine jackson
campaign, Van Buren, wrote to HOyt dis
cussing the political probabilities, and con-
Guided:
1--WE shall therefore have votes enough
to put Jackson's election out of all ques'
ton, and what is over is only important on
the score Of BETS"
Betting on the elections and manipulat-
ing the returns so as to save the bets seem
to have been tav0rite practices with the
New York politicians Of that day: Eighteen
letters that passed between John Van
Buren,, son OF President Van Buren, and
the Attorney General of New York, got into
the public prints Of that day and created q
great sensation, "a the letters made frank
confession of lobbying, swindling, stock
operations. and mentioned "a betting ring
that had been formed. The following is
letter written during the presidential cam
paign Of 1896, when Martin Van Buren,, the
father of the writer. was the Democratic
candidates:
MI DEAR HoYr-Ill do you the justice
to say land so does my fatherl that you
have stood the id lies from Pennsylvania
better than most of our friends in New
York. In this State our majority will
range from Il, 900 to Is 900. Bets on Is, 900
are perfectly safe. For Gods sake let our
friends turn all their attention to New
Jersey, and not be caught mapping there
as in Connecticut. My father wishes me to
say 80 to you.
J. VAN BUREN,.
Albany, November IL, 1886.
In another letter he says:
"Can you get any bets on the Governor
even9 We shall lick the dogs 30 this time
that the Great West will hear the howl
ing"
Martin Van Buren, himself once wrote
to Hoyt:
"The result of my success will be that
you'll be district attorney and Sherman
clerk"
After Swartwoats defalcation Hoyt was
given the collectorship of New York, and
following in the footsteps of his predecessor
he, too, became . defaulter to the amount
of several hundred thousand dollars.
Governor Tilden was but a young politi-
clan in those days, and was without the
power he subsequently obtained. The prac.
tees in which he had been reared he fol-
lowed when he became one of the party