The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-02-10

1 ~
than as an instrument created solely for
the service Of the people. Corruption
In some, and In others, a perVersiOn of
correct feelings and principles, divest
government from its Legitimate ends,
and make 1t an engine for the support
OF the few at the expense OF the many.
| The duties Of all public offices are, or at
least admit of being made 80 plain and
simple, that men Of intelligence may
readily qualify themselves for their
performance; and cannot but believe
that more is lost by the long eontinu-
anee of men In office than is generally
to be gained by their experience. l sub
init, therefore, to your consideration
whether the efficiency Of the govern
ment would not be promoted and off,
eial Industry land integrity better
secured by general extension of the
law which limits appointments to four
years. In country where offices are
created solely for the benefit of the peO-
pie, no man has any more intrinsic right
| TO official station than another, Offices
were not established to give support to
particular men, at the public expense
| no individual wrong is therefore Gone
by removal, since neither appointment
to nor continuance in ONCE is matter of
right. The incumbent became an officer
with view to public benefits; and W hen
these require his removal, they are not
10 be sacrificed to private interests. 1t
ls the people, and they alone who have
a right to complain. When q bad officer
IL substituted for a good one, he who is
removed has the same means Of obtain
Ing living that are enjoyed by The
millions who never held office. The
proposed Limitation would destroy the
idea OF property: now 30 generally con-
nected with official station land although
individual distress may be sometimes
produced, ID would, by promoting that
rotation which constitutes a leading
principle In the Republican creed, give
a healthful action to the system"
No words were ever more wisely or
| htly spoken by sage or statesman, and
they apply as we'll to every kind of
office. Without any authority in the
constitution we have an institution for
the RratuitOus and exclusive education
for life military officers In the Military
Academy at West Point. This nursery
or aristOcratic pretensiOn was first es.
ta0lished to educate and drill soldiers
Tor the regular army already enlisted
and grew to its present Dimensions,
| This institution Is unnecessary as 1t is
blot upon the esuteheOn Of free gov
eminent. There Is not a military insti-
tuition In all Europe outside OF Russia
80 exclusive as the Military Academy at
/
to be OF any service to the Government.
1t educated as many officers for the re-
0ell1On In proportion to numbers as II
| did for the Federal army. 1t has given
us but one President (Grant,) and his
administration Is foul blot upon our
history as Republican government
me most illustriOus commanders in our
history were George Washington, Gen.
Nat. Greene, Andrew jackson and Win
l 2Pnff np pHJh hoa
military school. Twenty-three of NapO-
Icons marshals, most distinguished in
his army, rose from the ranks. Our late
elVll war demonstrates that actual mer-
lLOrlOuS service iB the best possible
| military school fora free people. -
We have a civil list, one of the most
hateful Of all the loathsOme appendages
OF aristocracy. On this civil list are
placed retired judges, pensioned at the
rate OF ten thousand dollars year,
gathered from the poor men w hose
families are glad to receive twenty dol
lars month. Presidents widows re-
celVe 5000 year in pensions, which
ts gathered from the families of other
poor, virtuOu5 widows, who are content
to wash for three dollars week. Since
this civil list Is created without authorf-
" OF the constitution, time will swell
lts body unless 1t Is promptly cut down.
me Democracy owe IL to their represen-
tatlOn of the laboring masses of the peo-
pie TO cut away these cancers from the
body pOlltlc; to abolish life office, abol-
lsh all exclusive gratuitouB schools for
military appointments, and leave all
places, civil and military, open to gem
erOus competition alike free TO every
educated man and the soldiers of the
rank to abolish the abOminable civil
list and let every civil officer live and
save on the salary that he earns while
In office, or retire and let the place be
hlled by some one else. Offices will not
long go begging for tenants. This will
equaliZe the rights of the people.
The word patronage in government
5oupds harsh on the ears Of a free man.
LiVerled servants are hateful in repub-
lies where all are equal and 90 down to
the dust together and find themselves
the common food Of worms.
The patronage Of the Government
must be destroyed or 1t will destroy the
principles OF liberty. To do this there
need not be any diminution in the
power Of the Government to enforce it's
laws. IL Will require fair application
Of the maxim upon which the Govern
ment is founded that "All Just powers
Of government are derived from the
consent of the governed" as "all power
Is inherent in the people"
| Inc Ieme0y Is plain, simple and lust,
Let the President and Vice President be-
elected by the direct vote OF the people
without the Intervention Of LeRisla-
| lures, Electors, or Congress, which was
the method proposed by the Pennsyl-
Vanians in the Convention which franz
ed the Constitution. .
Let the Senators be elected by the d.
rect vote Of the people whom they repre-
| sent This will stop buying members Of
the Legislature with either patronage or
money, and the whole people cannot be
| bribed.
Let the United States Attorneys, mar
| Shals, pOstmasteTs and internal reVenus
collectors be elected by the direct vote
OF the people In properly defined districts
| first to be ascertained by law.
Let the Judges OF the Supreme and in
feriOr Courts Of the United States be
elected by the qualified voters of their
respective circuits and districts for a
term not exceeding ten years. The elect
0rs Will certainly never do worse for the
bench than the appointing power which
appointed Salmon p. Chase, the stump
speaker, to the bench, who went out In
the campaign in Pennsylvania, Nary
land, Virginia, and Delaware, Nor
would they elect men as a reward for
cheating the people out Of the Presi-
dency.
Let the cabinet officers and heads of
bureaus, foreign ambassadors and CON
anla ha aIaatod Inv the f0tnk vata - hz&k