The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-01-10

he common veal IN me pursuit OF personal
IL tends to form, it does form,
We see that 1t has formed, a political com
)ination, united by no common principle or
opinions among its members either upon
.he powers of the Government or the true
policy Of the country, but held together
simply AZ an association, under the charm
Of n popular head, seeking 10 maintain
possession Of the Government by vigorous
exercise OF it's patronage and for this pur-
pose agitating and alarming and distressing /
social life by the exercise of tyrannicai |
party prescription. Sir, il this course Of |
things can not be be checked good men viii |
grow tired Of the exercise Of political
privileges. They will have nothing to do |
with popular elections. They will see that
such elections are but mere selfish contest
for office. and they viii abandon the Gov
eminent to the scramble OF the bold, the
daring and the desperate.
How true are these words is now evil
dent to every rejecting person. Such,
sir, is the judgment of two of the great
est statesmen and profoundest political
philosophers who ever adorned the an
nails of this or Of any other country.
Differing as they,did widely, fundamen-
tally in their political creeds, opposed as
they were to each other on most of the
important questions which were agitated
in their day, they were in hearty accord
in denouncing the evils which this bill
seeks TO remedy. Sir, we have forgotten
the lessons which they taught.
For nearly twenty years this system of
political prescription has had such force
and energy IA it never had before in
American history. In the early days Of
the Republic it was not wholly unknown.
But, sir, it was known only to be con-
dcmned. When practiced it was always
with a disclaimer that prescription was
meant. Mr, Jefferson, on his accession
to the Presidency in 1901, complained
that he found that his friends had been
sedulously excluded from all participa-
ton in governmental affairs. He de.
nounced this as wrong, and proceeded
to correct the evil, not by an indiscrim.
mate removal Of his enemies, but by
filling vacancies and making others tc
be filed by removing maladministra
tors, incompetents, and others who while
in Office were guilty of electioneering &C
tivity or open and industrious opposi
ton to the principles of his administra
ton, and who were employing the pat
ronage and influence of their offices
against the measures of his government
He declared in letter to John Page
dated July II, 1907, volume V. of hi
works, page 1869, that he had never re
moved a man merely because he was
Federalist; that he never wished office
holders to give vote at an election bu
according to their own wishes; that hi
had only requested that they should b,
quiet and they should be safe.
And in his answer to the remonstranc,
Of the merchants of New Haven, datec
July II, 1901 volume V of works, pag,
402), he declares that his motive for max
ing removals at all was to secure to tn,
party which elected him, just partici
patton in the administration and tina
!, when this was accomplished he woulC
with "joy return to the state of thing
when the only questions concerning
candidate shall be, Is he honest? Is h,
capable? Il he faithful to the Consti
tuition"
How far the recent practice of tn
Administration has departed from thi
is known to every one. None are an
pointed to office Tor, if any, very few
who are not of the party in power, o
who being of another party have ban
gained their influence and support t.
destroy theparty to which they professe,
allegiance. Place and patronage hav
been openly and shamclessly tendere,
as the price not only of conversion bu
even of cooperation in elections. Tn
bestowal of Office has been farmed out t.
political leaders for the purpose of en-
abling them to make war on their rivals
and Of crushing all independence il
thought and action even in those VIII
are adherents of the party in power
Seryility to that faction of the Reput
lican party to which a President belong
, has been the eNaction demanded of thos
who aspired either to receive office @
influence its bestowal. Officers withou
J duties, agents without employment, bot
with high salaries paid from the people
money, have been appointed for tn
: sole purpose of organizing convention
: selecting candidates, and controlling ele,
tions. Other officers have been remove
and their places filled by men charge
/ with similar work In short, sir. In
, whole civil service of the country hs
: been debauched by a wicked and M
$ constitutional employment of the il
cumbents in doing the dirty work {
! political solutions. Salaries and otfici.
! gains have been augmented in order til.
i the fund out of which assessments {,
a corruption could be paid should |
# ample.
! The awakened conscience Of the be
i pie is tired of this. The people deman
e reform-complete, thorough, radical r
4 form. They claim that public Office
:, a public trust, not the private possessio
!; and emolument Of the incumbent. The
y demand that the service shall be purife
: that the incumbents should be
!. fact what in law they are, public Sc
It wants, servants to do faithfully the wor
:. prescribed for them. They demar
d that appointments to the offices belon
q ing to the people, created by them (,
: their own good and salaried by ther
!. shall be for their good, not to subser,
| merely the interest of a party, This d
o mand, too, has been made in no doub
/ full or uncertain terms, The man or Il
e party who cannot understand the tr,
= meaning of the recent great popular II
= hoaval, who cannot interpret arigl
q the voiced thunder which has riven al
II. a "a n