The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-07-29
From Harper's Weekly.l
PreceDt and Practice,

ln his dismal speech at Albany, upon the
evening of his nomination, Governor Tilden
described our national condition as we'll nigh
hopeless Indeed, he would probably consider
it utterly hopeless If benifcent Providence
had not provided q good angel for our relief,
which his name" said Mrs. Camp, "is''--
Governor Tilden lugubriousy declares, although
the other orators of the Fourth, Mr.. Adams,
Mr.. Evarts, DR.. Storrs, and NJ. Winthrop,
were not of his opinion, that ''our Centennial
product is the evils, licenses, and wrongs to
escape which our ancestors abandoned their
homes in the Old World, and planted them
selves in a wilderness" He says, also, that
the office-holding class have become more nu-
merous, powerful and unscrupulous'' Cover
nor Tilden's remedy is, of course, his own elec-
tion to the Presidency, and the restoration of
the Democratic party under the name of re-
FORM But it was Governor Tilden's political
teachers who we're the most active agents cf
the mischief. What has vitiated the office
holding class and corrupted politics. If not the
monstrous doctrine of Governor Tilden's politi-
cal and party parent, Governor Marcy, that to
the victor belong the spoils of his enemy, and
that all minor national offices are the fair
tion?
Thsis the root of the evil that the Governor
deplores, and this was planted by those who
politically trained him, and whose traditions
he has faithfully followed Forty and fifty
years ago, when the Governor was young
Democrat, the great Democratic party was alb
solute in administration. The Governor thinks
the republican official tone is low and alarm
ing. But let him be encouraged. Low as it
may be, the Democratic, even more than forty
years ago was still lower. His predecessor,
Governor Martin Van Buren, wrote, in 1928, to
a Democratic friend who afterward stole more
than million OF dollars from the government,
that it was not enough to have sufficient votes
for jackson;
't is important that we have some over on the score
of bets''
In February, 1929, just before he became
Jackson's Secretary of State Governor Van
Buren wrote
NMarcy situated that must make him
judge, or he would be exposed"
Again Governor Van Buren, writes:
'The result of my success will be that you'll be
District Attorney and Sherman clerk"
Mr.. Postmaster Coddington, of New York, op.
poses Mr.. Collector Swartwout's appointment
by President jackson, because he has "no
claims" The place
'should have been Hoyts. Ogden will 20 to Liver
pool You will recoect this was promised to Cam
breleng."
Mr.. Postmaster Coddington says that this kind
of thing will not do, and will lead to the for
nation of new party, in which, of course,
the plunder would be more righteously divided
Mr.. Collector Swartwout, who was Collector of
New York for nearly ten years. and finally fled
to South America, having defrauded the gov
ernment of one million two hundred aud five
thousand and thirty-fve dollars and sixty cents,
writes from Washington, on the very day of
his appointment, to his successor, Mr.. Collector
Hoyt:
"Whether or not shall get anything in this mad
scramble for plunder remains to be seen, but with
the hold have on the old man, rather guess will.
have big thing in my eye. It's as rich as gold
mine.'
Mr. Hoyt, not yet Collector, but perfectly
"willin'," writes, little later, to Mr. Secreta-
~ of State Van Buren,:
"For my political education am mainly indebted
to You, and have learned that politics matter of
dollars and cents, and adherence to party the only
hope of gain You are aware my fidelity and faith
fulness have benefited you II may say here that
have been promised your aid and that have strong
claims on you as party man and personal friend"
Mr.. Attorney General Van Buren, cousin of
the Secretary, writes to Mr.. Hoyt, four or five
years later
''Can you get any bets on the Governor, even? We
shall lick the dogs this time that the Great West
will hear the howling.'
This was, indeed, long ago. But these were
the state leaders of the party, and these the
practices under which young Democrats Ike
Governor Tildeu were trained. 1t is true that
~. .:,,x- L., - o.,I
there has been time to change. But in 1866
Mr. Tilden writes to the "Hon. w. NJ. Tweed
begging
"to present the case of Mr. Samuel Alien, very old
friend of ours who is in great need of small ap-
pointment under your department, for which he has
applied. He would be content with something for a
time OF not very high rank. You know him so well
that need add nothing. He used to be very eff
cient and useful worker, and is entirely reliable
man, Iand should be personally glad if you could
help him.
This letter, except in its freedom from vul-
garity is such as any of those earlier Demo-
Gratis from whom we have quoted would have
written. 1t shows how fully and without
question Mr.. Tilden acknowledged ten years
ago the original Democratic doctrine that to
the victor belong the spoils. This doctrine and
the practice under it are prolific sources of
large part of ''the evils, licenses and wrongs
which he now bewals. Has he changed his
opinions upon the subject? Does he renounce
the traditions of his party? Does he agree
with Governor Hayes? viii he. If elected,
decline to remove or to appoint to the subor-
dinate non-political offices, except for real and
not partisan cause? If not how can his eec-
ton, which would then be merely vast dis
trbution of the ''spoils of office among his
partisans. relieve the country of the evils which
mainly spring from that very practice?