The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-04-14

tackled Washington's private and domes>
tic life with venom. He also developed
the scandal between Mrs. Reynolds
and Hamilton. 1t was claimed Jefferson
inspired the attacks, but this charge was
never sustained. Jefferson admitted he
aided the journalist with money. After
he became president this man insisted
Jefferson should displace the postmaster
at Richmond and give him the position.
The president refused. The journalist
pursued him vindictlvely, making all
sorts of charges against him, morally and
socially. To these Jefferson never made
reply or took any notice Jefferson was
true democrat and always had faith in
the masses of the people
Mr.. E. W. Hurst responded to the first
toast of the evening,
THOMAS JEFFERSON. ;"
Some one has said that the story of Ma
poleon should be taken from the lips of
Frenchmen who find no language rich
enough to paint the great captain of the
nineteenth century, and that the story of
Washington should come from the heart
of an American who thinks no marble
white enough on which to carve the name
of the father of his country. And as
stand here tonight to respond to the
toast, Thomas Jefferson" author of the
declaration of independence, third presi-
dent of the United States, father of the
democratic party, it seems to me that to
the heart of every democrat who has at
all studied the character of that Illus
trious man must come the feeling that
there is no language too rich to paint his
virtues; no marble too white on which TO
carve his name. To such character as
Thomas Jefferson it is useless to attempt
to do justice in the brief moments which
are allotted to me on this occasion, and
have thought best to confine my remarks
to but one period of his life-that in
which he served his country as president
of the United States-a period which it
has occurred to me will be of peculiar in
tereSt at this time from the similarity be-
tween the policy in regard to the public
patronage inaugurated by Jefferson and
that announced by the present admins
tration. When in 1901 jefferson took his
seat. the third president of the United
States and the first president elected By
the democratic party, every office in the
gift of the government was in the hands
of the federalists, whose candidate, John
Adams, had been defeated for reelection
by Jefferson. Not only was this true but a
number of the offices had been filed BY
Adams during the very last days of his
administration notably, the offices of su>
preme court judges who serve for life
Now in view of the fact that posterity has
accorded to Jefferson's administration a
| degree of commentator second only to
that accorded to the administration of
Washington, let US carefully examine the
policy adopted by Jefferson in regard to
the patronage of his Office. In doing this
VIC find first that he was faithful to the
party that elected him, but that he would
| turn no man out of office merely because
he was opposed to him IN politics All va,
cancies which occurred by reason of
death or resignation he filed by appoints
ments of members of his own party. but
he would appoint no man TO Office merely
because he was conspicuous partizan
When there arose within his party bitter
remonstrances against the course he was
pursuing, to mere partizans he endeav-
orei TO show how much better for the
party it was to have an able federalist
passive and acquiescent in Office, and all
his circle of friends quiet for his sake,
than by turning him out of Office, convert
hun aud his friends into vigilant imbittered
opponents, to others his appeal was to their
sense of the just and becoming. lie held
firmly to his course unmoved by the exe>
crations of the federalists and the remon>
strances of his own party. To friend
who importuned him to make changes in
the Offices more rapidly, he replied, Il
don't see how l can; few die
and none resign. At moment
in the second year of his administration
when the opposition to his party was
most fierce and bitter, he wrote as
follows to member of his cabinet:
Il thi1k our original idea as TO Office is
the best-that is to depend for the OBJ
tanning just participation on deaths,
designations and delinquencies. This will
least affect the tranquility of the people
and prevent their giving in to the sug>
| gestions of our enemies, that ours has
been contest for Office, not for princi-
pie"
When l add that he says farther, 'to
these means of obtaining just share in
the transaction of the public business
shall be added one other" to wit: Re
moval for electioneering activity or open
and industrious opposition to the princi-
pies of the present government, l think
the similarity between the policy of Jeffer-
son and the present administration will
| suggest itself TO every mind.
Whatever may have been the opposi-
ton of partisans to the policy which JEFF
ferson inaugurated it satisfied the people
of the United States The proof of this
is not merely that he was reelected by a
vastly increased majority-nor that the
federalists once so powerful were reduced
to beggarly minority in the senate and
in the house-nor that the legislature of
a majority of the states requested him to
be candidate for a third term; these
were remarkable facts but they were only
a part of his triumph
At the end of eight years without an
effort of his own, without so much as the
expression of a preference, he handed
over the government to James Madison,
the man of all others in the world whom
he would have chosen for a successor,
and he had founded a party which for
more than sixty years held supreme sway
in this country.
would that every democrat, that every
lover of his country, would study well the
life and follow the principles of Thomas
Jefferson-what more patriotic, what
more correct statement of the essential
principles of our government than that
contained in his inaugural address? from
which with your permission l desire to
read brief extract
about to enter, fellow citizens, on the
exercise of duties which comprehend
everything dear and valuable to you, it is
proper that you should understand what
l deem the essential principles of our gov
eminent, and consequently those which
ought to shape its administration. l will
compress them within the narrowest