Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-03-16

themselves largely to farming" out the pat
ronage Of the government in their respective
states to tho neglect Of their appropriate
work. Senator Conkling for instance re-
garded all the federal offices in the great
state of New York as his personal property
to be used to reward friends, and "workers"
for himself and President Grant, whose
most devoted servant he has been for years
The constitution provides that the presi-
dent shall appoint such men to these places
as no deems most capable Of efficiently and
honestly serving the government; and Pres.
ident Hayes shows his fitness for the posi-
ton by at once setting out to obey the con-
stitution without deeming il his duty to ask
permission of Senators Cameron, Conkling
or Blaine, while the ''ring" who managed
the canvass are and have been determined
that they shall rule, hence their wrath.
Second, and growing out Of the presidcn-
tial prerogative was civil service reform, just
what the party has preached 10 almost every
platform and convention, state and national,
for the last dozen years; and what its stump
speakers have lauded to the skies. But the
senatorial group" or to use the more ex-
pressive term, senatorial ring" have glOried
in our present system which turns out a
faithful officer because he attends to his du.
ties and will not give his time to managing
caucuses" and such dirty party work. OF
course this method has been constant temp
tation to officers to neglect their proper bust
ness, that for which the government has paid
them literally, and attend to caucuses so as
10 get some favorite member Of congress
nominated. For instance, il Mr.. Greene,
the proprietor of the Standard, is appointed
postmaster at Woodstock paper under
this system is TO be devoted to secure the re-
election of Mr., Dennison to congress. Why
Because Mr.. Dennisou is the best man to
represent this district 2 Not at all, but be-
cause ne secured for Mr.. Greene the lucra-
tive position Of postmaster in that town.
Consequently members Of congress have
given more time aud attention to "running
politics" than to the interests Of the country
Now President Hayes insists that this cor
rupt and degrading practice shall stop; that
good and faithful public officials shall be
kept in their places, no matter what member
Of congress wants them turned out to make
place for some friend, and mere politicians
shall not be appointed. OF course Cameron,
who wanted his son don" in the cabinet so
as to run federal politics in the keystone
state, is enraged, and similar feeling dwells
in the bosom of Blaine, who claimed q soft
place for his friend Frye, and through him
proposed to run the administration for his
own interests, aud the imperial Conkling
wanted Platt at the head Of the post office
department so as to manage things in the
empire state in his interests. And this is
the average congressman's idea Of states
manship, but the country was disguised be-
cause it saw the growth Of corruption and
plumber, aud the decay Of moral virtues, and
when Hayes took new departure the joy
was widespread and spontaneous.
Third, he proposed that the selfish, mar
row, ruinous "bloody shirt" policy toward
the south was wrong in every respect and
must be changed. lie therefore, like wise
aud patriotic man, adopted the policy of
peace, Cancellation a policy which, while il
does not ignore the evils of the social aud
political structure of society at the south,
recognizes the manhood, the loyalty, the pat
riotism and capabilities of many of the
whites who were personally engaged in the
rebellion. The "bloody shirt" theory, Of which
Blaine and Chandler and others arc the
apostles, brands the gospel idea, that sim
ming man can repent and be regenerated, as
a falsehood. President Hayes recogniz es
the fact that violent rebels eau and do be-
come most devoted and loyal patriots; o
thing which must be true as a principle aud
as fact also, or all human progress is i'm
possible. We know of no reason why {
"rebel" cannot be reconstructed into as loyal
and patriotic citizen as any one +; the moral
difficulty is no greater than that which lies
in the way Of such man as Mr.. Blaine
for instance, being regenerated and made I
true christian. The resources Of God which
are adequate to the latter change are surely
equal to the former, and we have full a'
much faith in its successful exercise on
southern rebels as on northern partisans
Sodom was bad enough, but all things con
sidered Capernaum was worse, the enuncia.
ton of moral law t hat has not been re
voked so far as we know. lis a proof o
President Hayes craftsmanship that he rec
oguized the utter impossbility of re-uniting
a dismembered nationality; of building up
material prosperity, and bsgetting and de
veloping healthy spirit Of patriotism 10 tn
southern states by a system Of federal inter
ference, party-rule and constant woundinl
Of old sons. The incompetency of Grant
administration to solve the great problem
of our national life and the ruinous blind
ness of partisan zeal, was most conclusivoly
shown in its southern policy. Unfortunate
ly they did not believe that history ha
any significance or events any logic but Mr.
Hayes, recognizing the manhood, rights ant
capabilities, material. social and moral, o
the south, has taken the sensible and RICH
course of recognizing that section of tn
country as an integral factor of our natioI
in all respects, and treating it accordingly
Fourth, the business prosperity of a coun
try will always be in jeopardy when the con