The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-07-14
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND ITS
SYSTEM OF SPOIIS.


Republican party breeds presiden-
tial assassins. Mr.. Blaine is authority
for the statement that there are now
on file in Washington the names CT
one million Republicans, who ask
for Office, and it is reasonable to
suppose the other two millions, who
have no. put in applications, feel
that they must be present, when
places are dealt out for occupancy
in the retinues of officials. Under
Republican party management the
government has provided places Tor
only one hundred and ten thousand
adherents, and hosts are therefore
doomed TO disappointment. The
theory is that the government owes
support to all Republicans, and that
one-half the people of this country
shall sustain the other half in Office,
The bitterness which follows
disappointment at not being
provided with place and power
and pay under these Republican
administrators has often shown itself.
and continues to show itself Here in
Austin we have seen deadly feuds
produced between the ms and the
kQpts, when all would have been love-
had there been enough places for
evets Republican. We have seen
the United States court room here
desecrated with personal encounters
with armed partisans standing
ready and apparently anxious TO
take blood, because there were not
enough places for all. We have heard
the deadly six-shooter ring out upon
the streets of Austin, and the
federal Oflicc-holder battle the
streets with his blood, because he
had the place that was coveted by
others. A dozen Republicans apply
for federal position; several of
them go TO Washington to press
their claims in person; only one can
get the place, and at once the genus
Of SANDER is invoked to make the APP
pointing power believe every one
of these men the most consnmmate
rascals. One is charged with hay
ing felopious indictments hanging
over him in many counties of the
state; another il charged with hav-
ing embezzled public and private
funds and deserving place in the
penitentiary; another is charged
with being a gamblsr, and that
he has staked public money NJ
the gaming table; anotKer with
spending the public money on; wo-
men and in wine; another with fire.
quenting the lowest resorts, and
keeping the lowest society; another
with having traded on his official
bond; another with having deserted
his family and, to take the repre-
sensations of each other, they
are all vertically the most wretched
set of men that ever lived, not
one of them fit hardly for recogni-
ton, much less for responsible pub
lie position. A sorry set of men
they represent each other to be, and
they even go so far as to
back themselves with affidavits
that what they charge is
true and yet one of these men finally
gets nominated, and then there is
smouldering murder in the hearts of
all the rest. In thought there are a
thousand Gitteaus in Washington
any day, but they lack the moral
courage to imperil themselves
in great crowd by do
ing rs did this man. A cabinet
officer stated the other day, after the
attempted murder of the president,
that he had constantly lived in fear
of assassination by those disappoint-
ed men and the.fact that cabinet
officer. or president, is not
slaughtered any day may be
traced alone to the circum-
stance, that the committal of crime
would certainly be followed with
immediate apprehension and pun
ishment, AS long as the theory
prevails that the party owes every
partisan a place, this wretched coli
dition into which the country has
drifted will be aggravated; and ifthe
country, in consequence, escapes
anarchy, it will be q wonder.
Patriotism and merit are not
the measure of reward and the
sacred principles of goyernment
are defiled in this wretehed resort to
personal government Miserable
wretches like Gitteau are encour-
aged and traded with and then, as
we have seen in the Garfield Conk-
ling trouble, promises are ignored
and madmen and assassins are Great
ed. How long is the country to be
thus led into tolls that degrade it
in the eyes of the civilized world,
and which make it fit associate for
the worst governed nations on
the face of the globe2 The
worlds history is dotted with
the assassinations of great mepfbut
probably no instance of such lpagni-
tude is parallel to this muir
derous assault OH Mr.. Garfield
Brutus drove his dagger into Ce-
sar because he loved Rome more
than he did tyranny; Charlotte
Corday had listened to the
ring of the guillotine and
seen the Seins run with purple
tide, until she dared kill the tyrant
and man-slayer in his bath. Orsini
was patriot and took life because
he loved his country. Booth was a
mono-maniac and took revenge
because of a misconception of pa
triotism but thislas assassin, born
ofrepublicanism in days ofpeace rep
resents the theory that the partisan
must have place or he must destroy.
1t is no new impulse. We have
shown how IL has croDped ont even