The daily gazette., 1881-07-30
From the N. Y. Sun.
Gen. jackson and spof1s.

Since the shooting of the President
we have seen no end of philosophy
about the so-called "spoils SYSTEM"
and how it raises up assassins. We do
not stop to inquire whether the sys-
tenn is responsible for the evils
charged upon it. But Its history, as
recently given, is much in need of
correction.
With one voice our esteemed Res
publican contemporaries impute it to
the Democracy, and denounce Gen.
jackson, sometimes as the author,
and sometimes as the finisher of 1t.
But the truth is, Gen. Jackson, had
no more to do with it than any other
President. He meyer removedla man
for mere hostility, or appointed one
for mere friendliness to himself. He
had notions about the integrity Of the
civil service and the nature of the
appointing power as a public trust,
WHICH, if they were not theoretically
: as beautiful on paper as those of
our ssntimentalists, were at least
honestly carried out.
Tho spoils system, like many other
l hpuoob WulCu uhNO A5bhllCu buC vi
the Federal Government and filed the
country with scandals, was inaugurated
by Alexander Hamilton. Jefferson
found 1t in full operation In the Treas
ury Department when he entered the
, Cabinet Of Washington, and 1t reached
its full development in all the depart
menis under John Adams. 1t consisted
of multiplication Of Offices, and the
: creation Of useless patronages, ,.dispensst
/. to personal favorites and political par
! tisans. This is the spoils system trul,
u defined, of which Mr.. Hamilton wa
= the author. He believed 1t necessary II
" increase the weight and influence Of tht
Executive IN Congress and in the coun
try. 1t is not worth while TO describe
l. the lengths to which he carried 1t wheI
Is relieved from the restraint of Washing
"A ton by the accession Of Adams. IT /
!, enough to say that it never again reach
= ed such proportions until the times o
l. Grantism, Hayes and Fraud.
1t Mr.. Jefferson reversed the Federal
It ist principle upon which Hamilton ani
. Adams proceeded, and the first Demo
!, cratic Administration was the first anf
IL greatest reform Administration.
y abolished two-thirds of tho civil list
le It cut off every needless office. It re
" duced expenditures and diminished
taxes.
10 jefferson made the Government
70 simple and honest by making it eco
3 nomical. His plan was to confine it
N business to the few functions specific
=. ally named in the Consultation, and t
10 compel the faithful execution of thes
by mum er of servants sufficient 70
the purpose, and no more. He did nc
IN turn men out of Office because the,
4. were r'ederalists, but he filed vacan
8. cies with Democrats, or Republicans
a as they were then called, because the
were true to the Constitution, an,
v were heartily in earnest, as he was, i
10 giving the experiment OF local self
a government fair trial.
rs This was and il true civil servic
a reform. We have tried the Fedora lia
:. plan long while, under Grant an
d Hayes and Garfield, and nobody seem
is pleased with the result. Why NO
at make change, and try the Jefferson
m plan, as our fathers did in 1900? l
,n worked satisfactorily then, and as lon
IL as it was honestly followed. w
Us commend it to the reformers of tb
as day. Meanwhile let them stop railip
b. at Gen. Jackson and the Democrat,
and read page or two of their ow
party's history.