National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-05-21

declared in the letters of every Washington CORE
respondent that are well under my eye, and in al
| the leading Republican newspapers, that the
President was now 10 exhibit his backbone as if il
were thing doubtful whether he had one, and
| that he would not withdraw Mr.. Robertson. On
| the contrary, that he would hold every Senator
inimical to the administration who should fail to
vote to confirm him. 1t was further announced
with what truth know not, that the Democratic
Senators would vote for the confirmation of Mr.
Robertson, and that he was sure to be confirmed
| by Democratic votes, and the event seems tC
justify that prediction.
PATRONAGE.
An administration in the first years of its power
is very strong, and it requires high virtue even in
Democratic Senator-quite as much as the ay-
erage Democratic Senator can bear the strain Of
| to give up all hopes of any patronage for foul
years just for the sake of furthering the Democratic
| party Perhaps that is one reason why the DEM
ocratic party has for many years been in state
| of nearly hopeless minority. Mr.. Hayes worked
that mine with good deal of success; it was the
bonanza of his administration. The first chunk OF
ore he took out of it was the late Postmaster Cen
eral don't allege that these were the motives in
this case, but 1 am so blind can see no other.
IT'S true, It's pity; and pity It's, it's
THE EFFECT.
ASJOlSC W USlIcNG Ludb LOuUlC VIII
up the Republican party. 1t has fulfilled its mis-
sion, and is now simply an organization whose
only end is to make the rich richer and the poor
poorer and divide the spoils. But it will not so
certainly break it up if the administration is able
to crush out Mr.. Conkling in New York, which
some Democrats are apparently trying to enable it
to do.
THE MOTIVE.
Mr.. Garfield is not man of wealth or well to- do,
but he has been kept along, the evidence is, by
small jobs like the Credit Mobilier and the De
Goyler fee, and there might be other matters ex-
amined into, but only take those that patent.
Now, when man is about to be made President
he has plenty of moneyed men about him to sup
ply him with money. They don't do it for benevo-
lence, but in the hope of getting repaid, and hav
ing created an obligation on the incumbent of the
office, they require something to be done out of
which they can get their pay. Sometimes it is the
appointment of an Internal Revenue Commits
soner, so that they can secure their pay out of a
whisky ring; sometimes the appointment of a
Secretary of the Interior by which they can get
their pay out of the Indian or the Land Depart
ment; sometimes it is the Inauguration of a star
route performance by which they can get even;
sometimes it is a syndicate to fund the national
debt, out of which large sums of money may be
made. The internal revenue has now got upon
such basis of administration that it is difficult
to levy much on that, and manipulatorS are q
little afraid of the scandal which is risked by
working in that direction. There can be no syn
dictate to refund the national debt for it has re-
funded itself without appealing to a syndicate
The Indians are now so few and their condition
has been so thoroughly investigated that that
mine is worked out. The best public lands have
been so far secured by the railroads that that
source of getting money under an administration
has gone.
But STILL THAT CLASS OF MEN
of whom 1 have spoken must have the money
back that they have spent, and with interest that
would have delighted the heart of Shylock. There
is but one source left to this administration out
of which it can be got without creating great
scandal. More than two thirds of all the revenues
of the country are collected at the New York Gus
tom house. The investigations and prosecutions
of q few years ago showed that many merchants
attempt great frauds upon the revenue there.
With passive collector in the New York custom
house very large sums, amounting to millions
could be realized in that direction, and while it
is possible that Mr. Garfield might be ignorant of
the motive, 1 think 1t highly probable that there
are some men behind him who, having selected
Mr.. Robertson as one likely to play into their
hands, have insisted that he should be appointed,
and have held the President down to that appoint
ment under a sense of obligation to them against
his better convictions and such political sagacity
as he has History repeats ITSELF" and history is
full of such examples in other countries well
in our own. This will account for it.