The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-07-19
THE SPOILS SYSTEM.

cans to see foreign journals ascribing the at
tempt upon the life of the President as the
logical result of the spoils system which has
been so rigidly adhered to by the party in
power for the last twenty years. Still, not
withstanding its distastefulness, the charge
contains too much truth to be entirely ig-
nored or to be pooh-poohed away. Let us
see what this '.spoils system" is and briefly
outline its working. About thirty years ago
the late Governor Marcy enunciated the doc
trine that ''to the vlctors belong tie spoils,'
aud as is we'll known the two great political
parties have since acted in accordance with
the canon. When the dogma was first pro-
claimed there was a valid reason why a vic
toriouS party should strictly adhere to it.
There were questions Of vital Importance to
the welfare of the nation that then divided
the wing and democratic parties, and politi-
cal battles were fought for a principle and
not for the spoils of office. The party in
power distributed the offices within its gift to
the friends and advocates of that principle
with a view to its perretuation rather than as
rewards for services rendered in the interests
of that party. But political battles have
been fought and won III these latter days up
on quite a different line of action.
The party in power, relying upon its pres
tige, has thrown together a set of meaningless
resolutions which, through courtesy, have
been called a platform, and by waving the
bloody shirt and appealing to the prejudices
and passions of the masses it has continued
its supremacy for several consecutive Presi-
dental terms. 1t has thus become ponderous
and overgrown and withal corrupt from head
to foot. While in this state, without the CO.
hesive power of principle to sustain it or bind
it in indissoluble bonds of sympathy. it has
fallen apart-broken in factions-and now
resents itself to the world as parties within
a party, each fighting and struggling for place
and power, each INSCRIPTIONS as to the
means employed in gaining is ends. each
manifesting more hostility TO the other than
to their common political foe. What is the
result: Let us see.
Unpleasant as it may be to look at this
matter at the present time, the records of the
day compel us to refer to it. While the
whole country was panied and shocked by
the announcement of the attempt upon the
life Of the President, a most unseemly squab-
BILE between two of his physicians took place
in the very ante chamber of the room in
which he was lying at the point OF death.
They did not quarrel as physicians, but as
place-hunters. One of them was charged by
the other with seeking the Office of Surgeon
General. The presence of the angel of
dealt. who was lowering over their
distinguished patient. did not pre-
vent the ruling passion of til"
office seeker from finding expression.
Could it have been possible for such i scene
to take place had it been known that the po-
sition of surgeoa general was attainable only
by merit and regular promotion and to be be-
yond the reach Of favoritism D.? We think not.
1t was only one of the many instances in
which the perversion of the spoil system was
painfully made manifest. Again the entire
machinery of the civil administration has been
subjected to the practices aud end of factions
and party. Offices and their emolumeuts
have been and are treated simply as rewards
for p~artizan services. Ii must be seen that
he struggle for these creates a mercenary and
eltish spirit which in turn gives birth to
faction and faction engenders strife and some
Atlantic brethren charge 1t leads 10 the
numbering of Presidents.
1t would seem that this conclusion is harsh.
but the truth of history will vindicate it. In re-
ferritg to this subject the New York Comm err
cidi bulletin, one of the most influential re-
publican journals in the east uses tn" follow
ing language;
at was The struggle for the control of the
| New York custom house-for the sake of the
patronage and political power it c"nters-
which primarily led to the scandaIous contest
between two factions of the same party abOnt
the United States scholarships at Albany; and
to that spectacle, secondarily, is traceable the
attempted murder of the Chief Magistrates
The demoralizing effect of the contest be.
tween the lalfbreeds and the stalwarts appears
to have c~oujured up a political necessity in
the weak and disorlered mind Of the mis-
creant Guitteau ard so, to s.save the party ;
he determined to destroy the President. And
tie fair minded people Of tn" Unicn will
agree that though there would be assaslns ant
murderers if the .'spoils system had never
been heard of, it is morally certain using
the language of the journal above quoted
that .'but for the effect of that system in its AL
bany outcroppings, the Chief Magistrate woult
not To-day be lying at the point of death.
1t is not too much to say that the republican
party bred the viper that struck at the life O
its head.