The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-08-22


committee, the hard work, the work of or
ganizaliou, was mainly done by members
of the committee who had no connection
with federal tfllces, and notably by the
secretary who performed his duties on the
committee with the same energy with
which he has discharged the duties of every
other positi n to which he has been called
by his fellow citizens. SO far as the work
of the state committee, year ago, was
concerned, there might as well have BEEN
no federal offices in the state.
The same is true of our Rutland county
and town committees. Until the lie ming
os the second Grant ministration, such a
thing as federalofllce on either committee
was unknown. Aud it 10 a noticeable fact
although we do not suppose it had any
thing 10 do with the matter-that the only
time, since the republican party came into
power 10 the national government, that
Rutland has elected democratic Iepresen-
talive to the general ASSEMBLY was while
federal Office holder was member of the
town committee. Is any republican of
Rutland, or of Rutland county, idiotc
enough to believe that the enforcement of
the order to Office holders would be disas-
trous to the republican organization either
In the town or county?
We have nothing tn say relative to the
remark of Senator Edmunds that sit seems
natural to him that the men who do the
lizard work of polllics should have the
offices, and should keep on doing the
"bard work after they got them, any fur
ther than that it is an avowal OF the old
democratic d ,ctiine that ''to the victors
belong the spOils," that 1t is a disavowal
of every pledge made by tho republican
party on the subject of civil service reform,
| and il a confession that in tho campaigns
of 1879 and 1876. the republicans were
hypocrites and sought and obtained power
by false pretenses. Notwithstanding Mr..
| Smaley's general accuracy, we can hardly
| believe that Senator Ejmunds made any
such statement.
Neither do we agree with Senator Ed
munds in his statement that, las rule,
4" the postmsstels have been members OF
/" the local republican committees, because
"they live at central points, aud are usual
I" ly men of influence among their neigh
d" bors." AS general rule, the postmas-
tiers are not men Of il fldence, neither are
they members of the luc4l republican COM
mittees-and we venture to say that more
than half of the postmasters in Vermont
have been appointed solely on account OF
their locality, the business they are engaged
| in, and for the convenience of their neigh
bors. without the least regard to their poll
| tics or influence. Those conversant with
the postal service, outside of the large
business centers, will readily acknowledge
this to be true. 1t is the federal Office
holders in these large business centers who
desire to exert TN influence they cannot
and seem to sec fancied prominence ir
positions on political committees or in po
ltical conventions, tina. are endeavoring tc
make it appear that this circular TO ffict
holders is unpopular with The republicans
Of Vermont.
| We agree with the senator that there
have been "no rings Of federal officials in
terferiug ia ttate politics" neither ha!
there been any "custom house mlnipula
Z" ton of conventions in Vermont; but
there has been, as every one Knows, at
trmpts on the part of federal tfllcials tC
Extensively interfere with local politics II
various parts of the state; but, as Secre
tary Sherman taid in reference to o no
there has been such strong popular feel
ing against any interference OF machine
politicians that the attempt has beer
frowned down, and their mschinationi
brought to naught.
As matter of fact, 1t is true that loca
and state politics have been controlled by
rings of federal Office holders in Maine
Sassachui etts, New York, Pennsylvauia
Louisiana and other states, and the country
has demanded that an end shall be put t
the political influence of these riDge. Thu
order was, necessarily, general In it
terms, and works as preventive as wei
a. cure, and, as we have said, we beliey
it commepds itself to the large majority o
the republicans of Vermont.