Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-05-20
TIE WHOLE CASE.

There has been no better statement Oh
the case between GARFIELD and CONF
LING than the following from an indie
dendent Republican journal, the Boston
Herald:
ct is q great pity that President Gar
field is not in the position to receive the
full moral benefit OF fight with Conk-
ling. II it were contest between the
merit system and the spoil system OF tll-
ing the offices, and the President were
on the right side OF 1t, what wave oil
enthusiasm would roll over the ooun'
try. Unfortunately the President mas
not occupied such vantage ground
He recognizes the spoiis system as
fully as ConkliDg does, and the
only Question between them is how the
snoils shall be distributed. Conkling
saws: "I am the party boss IN my
State, and | should be consulted. The
President replies: ST know you are a
State boss, and very powerful one but
| am the national boss, and yon must
weld TO me. have my friends to re-
ward and enemies to punish, and, be-
sides. / have the whole party to harmon
izs throughout the country. l must
give a plum to the stalwarts, another to
the reformers, another to those who
made my nomination possible, and SO
on. 1t is very delicate business, and
you must not joggle my elbow" The
President has even given CoNELING an
opportunity to attitudinize asa reiormer
in defending MERRITT as collector
of New York. CoYKLISG does not
like MERRITT, would like to
see him driven out and his place filled
by one of his creatures; but, when the
President displaces him for the purpose
Of putting in man who is not one Il
Conkling's creatures, but his opponent,
Conkling praises Merritt and defends
the merit system, and makes a strong
point against the President, by quoting
from his inaugural what he said in Ia
yor OF fixed terms for officers, and COM
pairing it with the changing OF Merritt
in the middle of his term for mere polit-
ical reasons. This fight should not be
| misunderstood because Conkllng
ia arrogant, selfish and egotistic.
There is no principle involved. The
President is as much defiled by a bad
system as Conkling is. Indeed, on the
spoils system, which the President fully
recognizes for his own purposes, Conk-
| ling is right. 1t is an absurd policy TO
divide the party in New YORK by en-
couraging a revolt against the true boss
and setting up a rival boss in the Gus
tom house. No wonder Conkling Is so
angry. Let us suppose a case: Sup
pose Gen. Grant had been elected
President, and, on coming into office, he
had turned out our esteemed Collector
Beard in the middle OF his term and put
in some strong friend Of his own-say MIR.
Boutwell,: but, for the purpose OF fair
comparison, we must suppose the new
appointee to be as unsatisfactory to
Messrs. Hoar and Dawes as Gen. Butler
is. Does anybody doubt that our Sena-
tors would kick against lt-unless, In,
deed, they were too much engaged with
some eternal principle" like the e.ec-
ton OF German and Riddlebesger to the
Senate offices? We only suppose case
to show that Conkling's position is
natural one when you recognize the
spoils system as true method OF filling
the offices. The President is entitled TO
no sympathy from civil service reform.
ers. He has deliberately put himself
outside the range of their kind regards,
and his appointments OF Matthews and
Chandler-to say nothing OF Robertson
show how little he is governed by
consideration OF merit.
We have hope that some good may
be evolved out OF this conflict. 1t has
already done something to show the peo-
pie what the spoils system is, and it
should encourage and develop desire
for something better. Is politics agame
for the offices, as appears i'll the whole
wrangle since the new administration
came in, or is it an honest effort to gov.
ern the country wisely, efficiently aud
with the least burden to the people.
That is the question presented to the
American people to-day. Garfield and
Conkling are on one side Of it. We look
| forward to the day when a majority OF
the people will be active on the other.