The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-04-09
The Evils of Patronase.-work for
Senator Butler.

~ GlhS VI ~dtioHases- "otA All
Senator Butler.
Senator NJ. G. Butler Is Chairman O
the Senate Committee on Civil Service
and Rctrcnchmcnt. In the forty-tifth Con
gross he did good work !; he has goot
work on hand now in the forty-si1th Con
grcss which we hope and we feel sure HI
will carry on to successful completion
South Carolina feels grateful to him foI
what he has already done fer Charleston
and our State is filled with that o,heI
kind of gratitude to him which consists
In q lively sense of favourS yet TO come
to wit, an appropriation for tho nariga
ton Of the Savannah. But we lnodestlN
propose to map out for him higher art
greater work than anything he yet has
done, in which if he shall be successful
he will EARN and receive the heartfelt
thanks of the whole country South ano
North, of the good mrn of both parties
Democrat and Republican, of his co-tem'
porarics and of posttrftyr. We think nc
is the right man to do it, and II We mis-
take not he is in the right pfscc 70 Tare II
done. THIS is the work We ask him r.
take in hand-the abridgcHcnt and cur
ta;lment OF the iniquitods and monstrou'
system of official p~tt7'eNngc;-n system
which places at the absolute atid arhitra'
nv disposal of the President and the rul'
ing administration one k%sdred and ten
thousand public offices. Think Of the tre'
mcndous power Represented by these hun
drcd and te., thousand offices. 1t means
the support of one hundred and ten thou
sand families, in other words, Of half Q
million people for the wife and chill
dren of each onice-holdcr, ''and his sis
ters and his cousins and his aunts' arc
all deeply interested in the office and In
the President and party that dispensed it.
Was there ever a power like unto this
placed in the hand Of any despot? 1t Is
too vast to be welded wisely or we'll by
any President or any party. I It's d pow
or too dangerous and terrible 10 be ell
trusted by the people to the keeping and
control OF nhy President or any party.
1t was not forcseen nor intended by the
founders OF this republic. Small at first
like tho grain of mustard seed it has
grown to be the greatest Of all trees and
the roostlng place of the toulest OF all
birds. Year after year it is growing
greater and greater and It's vigor is in in
verse ratio to the political health of this
country. The time has come when the
axe should be laid to the root Of this tree,
for it cumbcrs the ground, imprcgnatcs
the air with its poisonous influences, and
it should be cut down. The Ratchet OF
Washington is a famous tool, but greater
In song and story will DO the K of the
man who with sturdy blows shall lay low
this Cpas-tree system OF official patron
age.
Look mt the calamitous effects Of this
eystsm SEQ how it banishcs tho best
men from the political arena and fosters
the growth of the most dangerous enemy
to liberty-a profession of politicians and
demagogues who 80 into politics Tor n
livelihood. Sec how it produces rings
and cliques, the perpetrators, aiders and
abettors Of corruption and thievery. Sec
how itembitters mems minds at elections,
e%ndangers the national peace, and turns
tho whole country into arough-and-tum-
BILE scramble and struggle fer plumber
and public money every four years.
Think Of the temptations it places before
all our citizens, from the individual voter
to Congress and the Electors, to commit
and condone fraud in presidential cleo
tions. Think Of all the other evils which
the system breeds and which will occur
to any intelligent reader.
This power Of official patronage is the
greatest danger of our country and our
time: it already has almost brought deatl,
10 our liberty and it certainly is the pro-
duccr Of nearly all our political woes.
That was a sad day for the republic when
the fallacious doctrine was established
that in politics as in war Ito the victors be-
long the spoils,"-as if the government
of the country and the public treasury
were to be considered as a prize for the
successful party and a p~ension-fund for
its faithful servants AS If the people
had made up a purse of money to be Civ
en- as 4 reward to the fastest runner in
the presidential race ,-as if this whole
on,,~tr,, ,..nro a nt1r,~~a, ~, r1o, o.,2 ~,
presidential candidates were a Rowel,
and an O'Leary. Acting on this vicious
doctrine, behold some of the -;victors'
who shared in the last distribution Of the
"spoils"--Noyes and ths.oehers who man
ipulated the Flosidsefection, staughtot
and the Others Who managed Louisiana
safes aaextk o. All that unclenn bird Corbin
for whom a comfortable nest has been fur.
nished in Utah.
The system must be improved If the
country is ever to enjoy all assured peace
and pure electlots: 1t must be improv'
ed almost to entire abolition. Why should
the President bave anything to do with
village postmaster? No doubt IN ele'
plant can pick ur 4 pin, but such a thing
is beneath eleph.htihe dignity. Ant
what right has any party to have a vas
army of one hundred and ten thousand
recruiting sergeants, political drummers
stationed in every nook and orn o
this great country, holding their office a.
n reward for party service, certain to lost
it if they are not loyal to party? How
long will this republic suffer this system
of official patronage to overspread i
like some monstrous polypus, with myr
lad feet and eclcrs that reach into its re
motcst reccsses?
a certain amount OF appointing powe,
should be reserved for a party and it,
President but it should be very limited
Let the President have. of course, thu
power to select and appoint his own Cabi
net. Let the ruling administration ex'
crcise its legitimate right to fill with mer
of its own party any vacancies in othe>
public offices that may occur by death
promotion or resignation, but it should
not create these vacancies when it come.