The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-03-23
The Hard Fate of Polk.

E*.ifss ~ uIOSl proper duu
pfalseworthy to appeal to the public
lelsympathy in behalf of Mr.. Polk,
MNVse tenure as Doorkeeper of the
10use OF Representatives holds by a
mere thread that may be severed at
alig moment. The judge and the
ezeeutlonerin Mr.. Polk's case is the
House Committee on Civil Service
keI0rm. We do not deny that the
institution of such a committee by
lne present House is very greatly in
he nature ofa burlesque, but still it
EXISTS and it has just rendered a sol
emn verdict upon the offences of
3otk. And what were those offences?
So far as they are made apparent by
Fhe testimony they consist in Polk's
AtEiempt to fulfil the. promises made
naoeratic members Of Congress
while he was canvassing for the post
ofDocrkeeper. The campaign went
on in something of this fashion: Mr..
Polk would. for instance, approach
Mr.. Jenkins, of the Squashtown dis
trict of Arkansas, and ask for his
vote In the Democratic caucus. Ser
tainly, my dear fellow" the Hon.
Jenkins would reply, "you shall have
1t, but want in return that you shall
give one of the places under you to a
man whom l shall name" Good
heavens!" Polk would remark, II
have only mtter of hundred and
ten or fifteen appointments to make
as Doorkeeper, and [ have promised
about one hundred and fifty already"
"Never mind that" would be Jen-
kins' observation, you'll get my
vote; appoint my man and your
friends will see that the House fixes
up the whole business for you, and
will make an extra appropriation if
necessary to carry you through" So
the trusting Polk placed his assur-
ance in the mutuality of the bargain;
he was elected Doorkeeper, gave out
appointments with an unsparing
liberality, divided up salaries so as to
satisfy everybody as far as possible,
and then brought in a deficiency bill
of $4,000 to the House.
1t is sad to relate that the Demo-
cratic majority went back on Mr..
Polk. Instead of sanctioning his
proceedings, they hauled him up be-
fore the Ciyil Service Reform Com
mittee, investigated him IN the most
heartless manner and on Friday the
committee resolved to legislate him
out Of office by turning over the du-
ties of the DoOrkeeper to the Ser
geant-at-Arms until a new one can
he elected. This is not doing the fair
thing by Polk, and we trust that
when the committee report is brought
before the House he will make big
fight. He should not allow himself
to be made vicarious sacrifice for
the honorable members who deluded
him into violations of the law on the
pledge that they would protect him.
He ought to expose them all, to show
up the bargains that were entered
into and the assurances that were
given. No guilt rests upon him to
which members of the House were
not parties. He was unquestionably
their accomplice, and it would be
very unjust to visit all the penalties
upon him alone. When his prede-
cessor, Fitzhugh, was 50 peremptOr-
ily bounced the latter could not plead
that any Congressman had instigated
him to the writing of that famous
letter in which he stated that he was
"a bigger man than old Grant ;" but
this case is very different. Polk
owes it to himself and the country to
turn States evidence, and the people
generally are anxious to hear from
him. No doubt he can find some
member to make a showing of his
side of the controversy .--B0itiD1ore
Ameyic0n.