Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-06-22
WHY This Waste?


President Garfelds brilliant inaugural was
spoken to the nation. The defeated candi-
date of the opposing party graciously signi-
fled by his presence the submission of his
followers to the verdict of the people and
the new president came into power on the
crest of a wave of popular good will. The
great party which had elected him stood
around him with hearty unanimity that
gave confirmation to the battle cry which
had inspired each of the opposing political
hosts in the late campaign, that the party
victorious in the election would secure
tenure of power for the next quarter GEN.
tury. The republicans apparently had moth
ing to do but to organize the gigantic forces
of united and resolute party and push for
ward the great work which the freemen of
the nation had consigned into their hands.
But how have those energies been employed ?
In carrying out the high commands of the
victorious party? The dismal struggle now
dragging along at Albany is the melancholy
answer. The earliest official act of the
president, the selection of Mr.. Blaine for
secretary Of state, presaged the tempest
which broke when by the removal of Col
lector Merritt he hauled down the banner of
reform and by the appointment of Judge
Robertson hoisted in its place the old flag
of the spoils system. A man who fearlessly
discharges great and imperative duty I'M
der trying circumstances wins the intuitive
| admiration and support of his fellow men.
The man who, merely to display his indie
pendence, applies lighted match to a mag
azine filed with explosives and projectiles
may succeed in his purpose, but while he
thus exhibits his independence, his hardi-
hood or culpable indiscretion is likely to be
the more conspicuously disclosed in the light
of the explosion that is morally certain to
follow. The magazine may be exceedingly
at fault for blowing up, but lighted match,
like red cloak waved before Spanish bull,
is challenge that magazines cannot decline.
To many sufferers from the explosion, abuse
of the ill-conditioned and "petulant maya.
zine for blowing up seems to be full of
consolation and healing balm others, griev-
ing for the widespread and irreparable de-
VISITATION, will track the responsibility to its
fountain head and fasten it there. The
president made wide circuit from the
plain path of official duty to perform an act
which no one, unless it be Mr.. Blaine, ex-
pected or asked him to do; the act was war
ranted by no necessity; fidelity to no prin-
| ciple demanded that he should go out of his
way to fire magazine of political and per-
sonal jealousy and hostility. The act was a
senseless autocratic exercise of a preroga-
tive which no one was assailing, or had any
disposition to question. Like begets like
An act Of unprecedented unwisdom was fol-
lowed by an act on the part of him against
whom the bolt was aimed by an act of mi
raculous foolshness. And so by the one su-
premely foolish act of the executive the
great harmonious party is split into two hos
tile camps, the presidents power for good Sc
riously crippled, the energies which should
be spent in advancing the great aims of re-
publicanism FILTERED away in internecine
warfare. Aud all this discord, this wanton
waste OF time and energy, the result of an
ill-advised meddling with an office for which
no one had asked and from which no one
had sought to be relieved.