The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1878-05-09


Mr.. Blaine, K lied only in the arts of the
bank robber,-are these men, term after
term, by their corrupt "village postmas-
ters" claiming down in the interior Of
Maine some brighter man than they,
while their own lives are sedulously de-
voted to Congressional deterioration? If
| SO, let Maine arise in her might and send
that superior man to Congress, and give
Washington the luxury of a genuine sur
prise.
And while you are about it, Mr.. Hincks,
be SO good as to explain why three of
your five Representatives are new men2
How comes it that Mr.. Reed, in your
own district, vas elected over the incum.
bent, who, by your own showing had all
| the'sources and springs of official inf1u-
ence under his controR How comes it
that ever since Jackson's administration
for time covering the whole period of
that "patronge" to which you trace all
our deterioration" there has been only
a single Congress in which a majority of
any House of Representatives has been
chosen to the next house; and that there
has been no instance in which a majority
of those members sustaining the Admin
| lstration in power-the very ones who
are declared to control the patronage
have been reelected? From the XXVth
to the XLVth Congress, the proportion
of Congress men reelected has been about
40 per cent. That is, of every five Rep
resentatives in a given Congress, only.
two have been chosen to the succeeding
Congress. Regarding only the party in
power, the ratio is much less. That is,
more men are elected without patronage
than with it.. That is, patronage is more
| powerful to put out the men who. "con-
| 49, 4 IL
who are without It, That is-what every
reasoning man knows and every inspired
man ought to know-that patronage to
the Representative is an element of weak
ness and not of strength, and that in the
apportionment of the offices whose dis
tribution he is supposed to influence, he
gains ten disappointed and active enc
mics where he secures one lukewarm or
imprudent friend
| The truth is, Reverend sir, that no
such claim over patronage as you declare
has'ever been made by Senators or Rep
resentatives; that Senators and Repre-
sentatives have a stronger personal in
terest than any one else in good appoint
ments, because no man suffers so palpa-
bly,, so personally, and so promptly as
themselves from bad and therefore inju-
rious appointments. But there is where
yOuT ClcIlCdi 5lE0du1 vi Q0ITdCGlOu Uu6TS6S
into the secular pool Of reform, and-to
vary the figure-it is just as easy to drive
two horses as one when both are har-
messed in the same team. In this letter
| design only to point out to you those
fallacies, falsities and follies, peculiar to
your Fast Day sermon.
| am not of those who believe that
ministers should not meddle with poll
tics. Politics is the duty Of every Amer
ican citizen. But if you come into the
arena of politics, come as a man, armed
and equipped as the law of reason di-
rects, not as a minister lording it over
Gods heritage. If indeed you can bring
to the stress of real life only such foul,
false gospel then, indeed, is it better
that you should betake yourself to the
friendly shelter of theological obscuri-
ties Nothing is so fatal to your intel
lectual claims as to be ineligible.
Reverend sir, you demand higher
ideal for the requirements and require
ments of Congressman. Have you re
hected upon the spectacle you present as
a Christian minister? 81 am holier than
thou is the spirit that breathes through
your Fast Day sermon upon all those
who disagree with you. Sophistry and
SANDER are the gospel you preach. Ig-
norance and arrogance are your spiritual
weapons. Do you not know that it is
you and such as you who are turning the
tide from our churches into our music
halls? Do you not know that it is the
dragons teeth Of detraction and false
hood sown by you that are springing up
all around US, in armed scoffers, strong
handed and defiant? 1t is you and such
as you that make the infidel Robert In
gersoll not only possible, but powerful.
If you are so blind to the world that lies
around us, how can we trust you for the
void that lies beyond? If you minister
to US so viciouslv in carnal things, what
should We expect from your ministry in
spiritual things? How can we revere
your sacred office when we see it prosti-
tuted to the inculcatian of Pharisaism
and false witness? How can you, Rever
end sir, cleanse yourself from the sin of
Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made
Israel to sin? GAIL HAMILTON.