The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-08-11
GEN. JACKSON AND THE sPoILs,

GEN. JACKSON AND THE SPOILS.
Since the shooting of the President
We have seen ne end Of philosophy
about the so-calls1 "spoils system" and
how it raises up assassins. We will rot
stop to inquire whether the system is re-
sponsible for the evils charged upon it,
But its history as recently given, is much
in need of corr Cti0n.
With one voice our esteemed Repub'
liCan contemporaries impute it to the
Democracy, and denounce Gen. Jackson,
sometimes as the author, and sometimes
as the, fnisher of it. But the truth i5
Gen. Jackson had no more to do with it
than any other President. He never re.
moved man for mere hostility, or ap-
pointed one for mere friendship for him
self He had notions about the integrity
of the civil service, and the nature of he
appointing power as a public trust, which
itthey were not theoretically as beaut,
full on paper as those of some of our cen
timeDtalsts, were at least honestly car
red out
rhe spoils system, like many other
abuses which have assailed tie purity of
The Federal Government and filed the
country with scandals, was inaugura ed
by Alexander Hamilton. Jefferson
found itin full operation in the Treasury
Department hen he entered the Cabi.
net of Washington, and it -eac ned its
full development in all the departments
under John Adams, 1t consist d of a
multiplication of Offices, and the creation
OF useless patronage, dispensed to per-
sonal favorites and political par.isans-
This is the spoils system truly defined,
of which Mr. Hamilton was The author.
He believed it necessary to increase the
weight and Influence of the Executive
in Congress and in the country. 1t is
not worth while to describe the lengths
TO which he carried it when relieved
from the restraint Of Washington by the
accession of Adams. 1t is enough to say
that it never again reached such proper
tions until the times of Grant and Grant
ism, Hayes and Fraud. Mr.. Jefferson
reversed the FEEDER alist principle upon
which Hamilton and Adams proceeded,
and the first Democratic Administration
was the first and greatest reform Admin
istration. 1t abolished two.thirds of the
civil list. 1t cut off every needless o.
fee 1t reduced expenditure and dimin-
ished taxes.
Jefferson made the Government sim
pie and honest by making it economical
His plan was to confne its business to
the few functions specifically named in
the Constitution, and compel the faithful
execution Of these by a number of ser
wants sufficient for the purpose, and no
more. He uid not turn men out of of.
fee because they were Federalists, but
he filed vacancies with Democrats, OF
Republicans, as they were then called
because they were true to the Coustitu
ton, and were heartily in earnest, as he
was, in giving the experiment of loCa
self government fair trial.
This was and is true civil service re-
form. We have tried the Federalis
plan long while, under Grant, Hayes
and Garfield, and nobody seems pleased
with the result. Why not make a change
and try the Jeffersonian plan, as our ia
theirs did in lS002 1t worked satisfaCtor
lily then, and as long as il was honestly
followed. Wecommend it to the refor
mers of be day, Meanwhile let then
stop railiGg at Jackson and the Demo
Crats, and read page or two of their owr
party's history.-N Y Stn,