Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-05-31
Fragrant Scandals.

Gath writes: No man has yet uncov-
cred the full scandals under our govern
ment arising from the power of Repre-
sentatives and Senators to make ap-
pOintments in the name of the United
States Here we have a Senator six
years in his seat, and who has attained
national distinction on account of his
party services, who is at this moment
accused of wholesale system of swim
ding, extending through large mum,
Der of States, and done with boldnesS
and want of common prudence frightful
to see. Letters are written or tele-
graphed, and men employed to increase
a mail service already too munifcent,
and the said letters are made the basis of
extravagant appropriations, which the
Senator in his place supports. Mean
time bonds in blank are signed by one of
his postmasters and satellites, and
brought to Washington by the pound.
the same being perfectly worthless
Why should this man have had postmas-
ters or mail agents, or large hand in
the Post Office Department at Wash
ington, except in accordance with this
vicious system, which, instead of ma
ing him statesman, induced him, per-
maps, TO DeCOu6 rCSu6I
Another instance of Senatorial patron
age came out not many years ago at a
hotel hop in Washington, where some
of the young men experts put their
heads together and agreed that certain
woman who was at the hop was off
color The hotel detective followed the
damsel up, and discovered that she was
the mistress of Senator, one of the sly
and moral sort, who always supports the
most stalwart side of his party, believing
ing that the more unreasonable partisan
ship the greater patriot he is. A politi-
cal opponent of this man had sent to
Washington the damsel in question,
with an introduction to the Senator, ask
ing him to get her an appointment. 1t
was easily done, and the government
was paying for the pleasures of
the Senator, who had the prudence to
surround the damsel with all the forms of
responsibility, even to bringing her moth
er on to be his housekeeper. Onthe night
in question she had escaped from dur
ance with fellow clerk, and was hav-
ing gay time at the ball. This Senator
probably has never had the least idea
that in the city of Washington there
were one hundred persons in almost
daily intercourse with him who knew
all about this hypocrisy. What right
had he, merely on his request, to put
any human being on the pay-rolls of the
government? particularly to corrupt the
service, mislead, perhaps, other young
women in the civil list; and convey to
his fellow citizens loathsome notion of
the public employment? The man is in
the Senate now, and is a thick -and. thin
Conkling man.
Again, there was distinguished Sena-
tor whose patronage extended over the
whole Union, who gave notable Office
in the Senate to young man as the
price of an intrigue with his wife.
Thousands of people knew it all the
while, and it was matter of daily com.
ment, and even of newspaper notice;
and in his moments of disgust and re-
morse the young man himself breathed
his complaints. Why should such a
Senator have the making of private
character around the capitol building?
Another eminent Senator, perhaps
longer in the public service than any
living man, returned from the Cincinnati
Convention in 1876, and Immediately, by
the help of Grant, had the postmaster of
his city removed, because that post
master had expressed a private opinion
in favor of Blaine for President. was
taking lunch with the old Senator when
he was chuckling over his action, and |
thought to myself that more disgusting
spectacle of gray hairs | had never seen.
The vices of the patronage had made
him heartless, tyrannical savage, and he
could not bear in free country to have
one of his Office holders even respect
political rival.
One of the blackest books in the his
tory of man can be written on the patron
age as dispensed by Congressman and
Senators, elected only for the purpose of
giving us their experience and wisdom
in framing the laws and institutions of
the country. They have little or no
time for such work, being now wholly
engaged in turning men out and putting
others into office. In the British public
service there is class of men who keep
posted in advance of all scientific and
commercial changes, and are engaged in
holding their country up to its best eff
cheney in the race for wealth and civili-
zation. Our public men, gorged with
this slave holding patronage, are often
debating the mere rudiments of political
economy, and many apparently have
never read a book. Good fellowship,
familiarity, coarse fidelity aud genial
dishonesty are the most cultivated traits
in this patronage society. How many
men of fine parts have we seen go to the
dogs in very few years from the glut
Of personal power in politics
An -