Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-10-30
THE AnnY OF oFFIoE HoLDEns.
Ciurkson N. Potter on the Danger
thaH haas swollen TO thrice
What webster
Feared.

EN-GOtlEfeSSllatt OidfkSOn N. TUX
Ter addressed the constitutional un-
ion association at No. 436 Fulton
street, Brooklyn, last night, speak
ing for two hours on the issues Oi
the campaign. Having overcome
the trials and disasters of the past
four years. he said, sit is the duty
of every American citizen to look
squarply in the face the dangers
which threaten US from an oligar-
chy of Office holders. When this
government was formed certain pro-
visions were made for disbanding
the regular army in time of peace,
but when they looked after the
standing army they forgot another
standing army that is surrounding
us from all quarters. Year by year
the country has grown and become
centralized from many causes, until
there are to-day under the federal
government from 100000 to 10000
men holding office directly under
the patronage Of the president. 1t
was impossible in the olden time to
! discipline a postmaster in Louisi-
ana, owing to the length Of time
taken in writing letters and receiv-
ing answers, so the duty of giving
away its offices in every state was
given to some one in each state who
bestowed them in the name of the
president. That was before the tel
egraph. Now you can telegraph
from Oregon to the president that
postmaster is not keeping his
shoulder up.to the wheel, and he is
Immediately disciplined. There is
no country in the world that has so
large a gift of Office in the hands of
one man." Mr.. Potter then showed
how every office-holder influences
at least three votes, which, besides his
own, and estimating the number of
office-holders at 40, 900, made an in
terested vote throughout the coun-
try Of 100000. Mr.. Potter spoke Of
the contributions levied, on these
men, "a vast sum contributed to
keep the people of the United States
from deciding whom they shall
have for president" Continuing,
he said "You can have civil ser !
vice in the United States when you |
have it by law and take the power |
of patronage from the president. |
The men who work to elect man |
expect to be rewarded, and while |
the power is centralized there will |
always be this vast army at the |
back of the party in power. Un-
less something is done, trouble will |
come from it. Year by year the
army becomes larger. Webster I
said that if ever this Office patron
age reached 10000, the country
would be in danger, and now it is
nearly thrice that number" Mr..
Potter gave short history of the
elections in Louisiana during the !
years 1874 and 1876, of which he
had personal experience, and DEM
onstrated that the cOlOred voters in
stead of being republicans were in
reality democrats, and when left
alone, voted the democratic ticket. |
On the tariff question he said he did /
not favor a general taking off of du-
ties, but what he wanted was a just 4
and equitable tariff instead of the
one now in use. He did not think,
however, that there would be a
change in the tariff, whichever par
ty was successful, because from diff
ferent sections of the country come
men ~ COuSIt6o VIII nave CtTldll
articles which they wish to protect,
and when the bills come before the
house nothing can be agreed upon
because every one wants something
added to the protective list. Mr..
Potter advised a change of govern
ment at certain periods for the good
of the people. "There il no house
keeper,' he said, "whO does not
once in twenty years or oftener
take up her carpet, put it out on
the line and beat it, and after that
she looks for what was under it.
When we change this administra-
tion carpet we shall find more under
it than we have ever dreamed off,
In conclusion Mr.. Potter said:
''This year, no matter what the re-
suit of the election may be, you
will find more than 100000 popular
for Hancock and English
the United States