Mexico weekly ledger., 1880-05-06
FED EEAL PATRONAGE.


The power Of appointment and re-
moval exercised by the executive is
constant menace to free institutions. |
The conservative portion of the re-
publican party seems to have some !
consciousness of this fact and to |
have manifested disposition to coun-
teract an increasing peril; but its
civil service rules, rs they have been
enforced, are miserable failures. In
deed it is scarcely too much to say
that nothing short of Constitutional
Amendment will avail to free the
country from this impending danger,
rXcrnng every year, more and more
influence, because every year the
offices of the country become more
numerous through their creation Of
new departments, new bureaus and
ne" einployments.
Gen. Grant is reported to have re-
Gently denounced the standing armies
Of Europe. The meIccnarics, that
threaten our liberties are of Il differ
cnL character. They are not u body
of drilled soldIcrv, but a consoiida-
ton OF pcnsioned office holders. The
president appoints, controls and com
mands over one hundred and ten
thousand Of them. Previous 20 the
existence Cf railways and telegraphs,
it was Impossible for onice-seGkcrs
and placc-holdcrs to either visit or
communicate speedily with W Nashing-
ton. Now applications, recommends
tons and complaints travel fast as
steam and electricity can transport
them. II the most distant officer
fats in what j. expected Of hun, lie
! can he dealt with IS sharply and rs
speedily. Is if he resided ut the cap
itai. This places Tim completely in
the poTcr OF the executive. No such
con jltlon Of civil service tenure cN-
isl, any where else. IL is evident
oar fathers did not f0rcscc this peril
OF they would have provided against
il, and it is questionable, if even
after its dangers have hcen discovered
the nation realizes what may come
out OF it.
Each Of the office holders or this
country has relatives, connections,
friends and employees, interested in
his being continued i'll his position.
Estimating these To- be as few as
three - every recipient Of patronage,
there would be four hundred and
forty Thousand influenced voters or
more than the ordinary popular ma
inrily 1t presidential elections. These
constitute al army Of workers as
well AZ voters. They furnish the
means to run the machines, arc found
:,l convention, aui prinarivs, manage
meetings and insist upon in>truc-
tion-. 10 this array must be added
governmental contractors and snbsi-
,Ntyi presses, Interested in ADVERTISE
meut, au,t jobs and therefor in main
tanning The ruling party in power.
: it too much TO say tIat it re-
quire~ two thirds Of the unbiased por-
= l,np 81 oar population t. nvegeomc
. the inIunrnve OF AL these pnrtlaans.
. In the last prrsi,lyntlal election Iii,
. Republican majority in the states "1
/ lrnn~ylvauia. Ohio and Wisconsin
= did not succeed IN the aggregate the
number OF The federal officers in them
r This condition of things not only
; affects the voting, but renders i
; possible for party to mialcai th'
I public as to the true number and rel
| ntiou Of the ballots actually cast
! With this enormous bias in favor O
= an administration it is almost imposs
+ iblc to discover much less establish it
frauds.
Upon the part of the conspirators
this cry for u strong man Is ior on
that will use his patronage to kee
his party in power; that will supcrln
: tend hallotings and see to it, that hi
: administration is always elected,
:. necessary by fraud, corruption, c
, force: and to do this until publ
confidence in the ballot is destroye
:. ant: the institutions OF the nation vi
/ turned. Not until the appointmcl
q of federal officers is rcmitted to til
people will our libertieS hc safe.