Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-06-22

Irish word

a Dt'9nNAA vi ~ W 40 DuN1NNl'u pl q lCClIl
of indignation against the Spoils Sys
t TEN which every one instinctively fel
to be the direct cause of Guiteau's at
tempt on Mr. Garlleld's life
Never before has there been such
unanimous condemnation of the meth
DDS openly employed for years by botl
political parties TO gain power and t
retain it when once gained. The run
ming sore that is wasting the vitality
of the republic, and to which we havt
so often pointed, is now uncovered ant
laid bare to the public gaze in IA way
that ought to rouse the whole nation
to realizing sense of the necessity ol
applying some remedy.
With a distinct understanding that
to the "Victors belong the SpOils," ev.
cry four years we begin presidential
campaign upon the result of which de.
pend the bread and butter Of hun,
dred thousand cehOlders.
AS the fight thickens and hope alter
mates with fear, the army of the "Outs"
and the army of the 'ins' redouble
their efforts. Corruption in its most
naked form stalks abroad unabashed,
and no one seems to notice it. The re-
ply, "it is politics." is deemed a sufli-
cient excuse for almost any rascality
that is committed during this time.
The "workers" encouraged by the
expectation that when the battle is
over they will have free access to the
spoils for four years, go to their work
Ike ravenOus wolves. The poor crea-
tme whose crime bas made his name
known TO the whole country, was one
Of these workers. He worked for the
election Of the man whom he attempt.
ed to kill, not because Gen. Garfield
represented principle in which Gui-
teau had any faith, but because he
thought that the Republican candidate
for the presidency had the best chance
Of becoming Il dispenser of the spoils.
The fourth of March came, and with
thousands of other patriots Guiteau
hastened to Washington to get his re-
ward. There he found dozens after
the particular bone he was in search
of and he suddenly saw his bright
dreams melt into thin air.
The story of this man is the story of
thousands who enter into the mad
scramble after the spoils that is going
on all over the republic. With their
minds intent on getting the particular
prize they are after, what care these
desperate sCrambers for honesty or
honor? What matter to them that in
their wild rush for place they trample
underfoOt all that is precious in our
republican institutions?
With the sordid greed for office once
reused, all consideration for patriotism,
all thought Of the public good, all re-
gard even for common deCency, are
cast to the winds. III the allabsorhing
desire of getting place at the public
crib, the Cllice-Seekels are obliviOus to
every thing but the means that will help
them to realize their wiShes.
Remember, there must be half mil
lion of these men, us five for each of
the hundred thousand offices that
make up the great political lottery in
which politicians take their chances, is |
a very low estimate 1t would, per.
haps, be safer to double that figure |
Recollect we here speak only Of Fed
eral Olce.seekers. Ii we add to this
large army the thousands who are
seeking appointments under the state,
county, and city governments, we shall
have "a solid phalanx Of cfi 'e.seekers
from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, whose power for evil is almost
The political boss, who is the out
come of the thing called patronage,
sees in this vast host Of greedy Office
seekers his chance of raising himself
into power. Here he has ready at hand
men who are willing to do anything
and ever thing provided their one alb
,orbing passion be gratilled.
The boss in his ability to dispense
he offices possesses the same power
over these men that the magician of
I'D vas said to possess in his magic
wand by which he could exact che
Hence from unseen spirits, even against
heir will.
The boss knows his power and re-
luires as submissive obedience as ever
Eastern despOtism exacted of its slaves. ;
As long as he retains the disposal Of
he spoils he is sure of unquestioning {
submission on the part of the army of ,
who look to him to graft.
y the one wish of their lives.
What is the practical effects of this? :
4 leaf from recent American history ,
will answer that question.
1t is a little over year ago that I
ew political bosses determined by ele- I
,ating Grant to the presidency for the
bird time to violate custom that had
lmost the authority of law.
The overwhelming majority of the /
merican people were opposed to the I
bird term, and their opposition was
in such clear and emphatic '
anguage that there could be no room t
OR doubt The political bosses who q
lad undertaken to carry ont the third d
erm plot wele, however, in no way t
Iaunted.
They had an abiding faith in the
machine. Whilst they could manage /
hat they cared but little for public t
pinion. G
Three political bosses-Conkling, t
.)gan, and Cameron-believed that b
hey could override the wishes of the 1
yhole American people, and force v
rant upon the country through an h
use of the patronage that the |,
polls System placed in their hands. d
low nearly they succeeded is known b
} all. v
This one example is in itself enough a
, show the danger that turks in the C
ractice of making the places under
le government prizes to be scrambled
fter. N
When Conkling, Logan, and Gamer n
n impudently assumed that the three 81
rcat states of New York, Illinois, and v
would obey their word p
I command and cast their vote for
third term, they did so because they
,lied upon the power of patronage. Fl
They knew that in each of these L
ates was a horde of hungry politi- L
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