Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-08-29
lancaster fntelhQe,lret.

1anrastcr fntelllQencet.
TUESDAY EVENING, AUG. %. 1854.
A Pharfsaical Position.
The Philadelphia Press at last finds
something in General Malone to con-
denim. Up to date he has been pattern
politician to the Press, which approved
all his methods and has never tired in its
applause. We think our contemporary,
after swallowing SO many camels, need
MT have strained at the gnat which
causes it to now almonish Billy Ma
hone, who has been SO naughty as really
to ask the men for whom he has obtained
federal Offices in Virginia to pay five per
cent. of their salaries to his campaign
fund. We do not see anything very
heinous in this. In fact, it seems to US
to be "quite-to-be-expected order
from Mr.. Malone and entirely in
accord with his usual methods. Just why
the Press, which has so steadily and
warmly admired them, should choke at
this is nc0mprehensible. 1t can hardly
be that it thinks five per cent. too much
for the ofice-holder to be charged, nor
can its sympathy he extended to him be-
cause two such hawks as Hubbell and
Malone p0unce down on him at once !;
for five per cent. and two per cent. make
only seven per cent, and certainly the
man who gets the hundred per cent. that
he never had before, and now enjoys by
the grace of Malone, can afford to pay
seven per cent. of it for the pleasure of
continuing to enjoy the other ninety
three. 1t is very clear indeed that the
Office holder can stand this degree of
tapping without financial exhaustion.
1t is also obvious that Mr.. Malone
understands this /; and furthermore that,
being in want of money, he considers
that the best place to get it is from those
who now have it by reason of his polit-
ical strategy, who never had it before,
and who will not continue to have it if
his strategy fails as it will fail if it is
not sufficiently supported by cash.
Itappears to be necessarily conspicuous
to the dullest understanding that Mr..
Malone in arguing thus argues wisely.
1t being conceded that he must have
money, the men who enjoy their incomes
ON account of his political dance are the
men properly to be called upon to pay
the piper.
But the Press pretends not to see it,
though it is profitable both to its friend
Malone aud to the drove of creatures
whom no has put out to green pastures
which only shows that the Press is hypo.
critical. A journal which could laud
Malone up to this point in his progress,
and never stick at any of his dishonest
performances is not of that high virtue
that it can cOnscientiously pretend even
to gag at his assessment of his office
holders. There may he an honest opinion
that OlIice-hOlders should not he assessed
the cost of political campaigns
by the party that puts them in
power but that opinion is not
held by the time serving class of
journals to which the Press conspicu-
ously belongs. We can respect the opin-
ion when delivered by those whose con-
sistent objection to all political expen
diture enables them to give it honestly;
but it is simply despicable in men who
aim to live by party plunder and who
are always ready to applaud the pur.
chased successes of their leaders, to hold
up their pharisaical eyes in public and
dare to condemn the assessment for po.
litical expenses as the fruit of the sue
cess of the party that is striving to buy
its retention of power and the mainten-
ance of its retainers in Office.
In our judgment Office holders ought
not to bear the cost of party campaigns,
but neither should they be the sport of
party success. The old doctrine, for
which Andrew jackson is made respon-
sible, that to the victors belong the
spoils," needs mod i6catiOn in view of
its abuse in modern practice. The first
consideration should he the country's
service. That needs to be cared for by
the party to mark its fitness for
the administration of the nation.
There will never be a good civil
service, we have learned by dear
experience, while patronage is the chief
aim of parties. 1t takes all honesty out
of our political professions, ana tends to
make our statesmen nothing better than
time serving politicians, ever on the look
out, not for the truth of issues, but for
their availability in reaching the flesh
pots of power. Let us away, then, with
this reward of party service and have SO
much at least, in some way or other, of
civil service reform.
But SO long as the political offices are
the rewards of political success, let the
political olice-hOlders be called on to pay
the cost of the dirty political fight.
The hue and cry against Governor
Cornell in New York illustrates how
comfortable man may be until he stirs
~ hornets nest and further, how
quiet hornets may be until they are
stirred up. The hornets are quite indif.
ferent to you while you let them alone Il