Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-31
The Louisiana senators.

The junior Senator from Louisiana, Mr..
Eustis. failed 10 control any OF the i'm
portant Federal appointments OF his state
and he made a great deal OF noise O
II. He is much better known now than NJ
he had controlled all rhe appointments
aud kept quiet. He is regarded "a The
leader OF ali those who are dissatisfied
with the administration on account OF
the policy ofthe President with respect to
the distribution OF patronage.
The senior Senator, Gen. Gibson, is just
now occupying a little of the attention of
the newspapers. He mas written a letter
to Gen. Allen Thomas, a Louisiana ma0
who was fortunate enough to get an
office. 1t is not exactly clear what the
immediate occasion for writing that por-
ton Of the letter which makes light
Of patronage was. The President
permitted Gen. Gibson to put his
friends into the Louisiana Offices,
and it would have been supposed,
very naturally, that be would have been
so we'll satisfied with the situation
Of affairs that he would have kept out Of
print. Perhaps he thought the junior SEN
ator was becoming too prominent, or it
may be that he felt that he ought 10 say
a word in behalf Of the administration,
and inthat roundabout way administer a
quiet rebuke to the junior Senator for at
lacking the administration.
There are some sentences in Senator
Gibson's letter which appear TO sustain
the latter suggestion.
Two of the sentences are as follows;
'But, after all. the poorest nutriment for
a political party is public patronage. The
moment it feeds and fattens on spOils it
begins to die in the hearts of the people,
and, if l mistake not their temper and
disposition. they will be impatient to adj
minister a stern rebuke to the public man
or Othcial who, instead Of rely ingupon his
character and services, shall attempt TO
exercise his Office for purposes Of pohti-
cal preferment and not for the public
good" The Senator takes very high
ground, and he can afford to, not because
he doesn't care who gets the offices in his
State, but because he was able to say, to
a very great extent, who should have
them.
If all OF his friends had been ruled out
he might not have written so calmly, and
with such apparent disinterestedness
about ''public patronage"
Speaking about the party in Louisiana,
he says: 'In my judgment the Demo-
cratic party, both in our State and in all
parts of the Union, should draw q lesson
from the history and fate of the Republi-
can party. If it expects to enjoy success
it must deserve success. 1t must turn
resolutely away from the fatal allure
meRts of the "spOils system" What gain
to the country if the last campaign shall
prove 10 have been not a contest for prin-
ciples, but a mere scramble for Offices.
Democracy stands for more than otices or
1t stands for nothing. The sturdy De-
mocracy of louisiana will not divide into
warning factions on a mere question Of
patronage"
1t may be as the Senator says that the
sturdy Democracy Of Louisiana will not
divide into warning factions on the ques-
ton Of patronage. 1t is probable that he
regards the faction which supports him
as the sturdy Democracy. That's the fac
ton which got the offices and it is quite
content. But the other faction, the one
that has the State offices and does the
work at election times, is ready for war
or anything else. The Senator's soothing
letter will not have the effect of soothing
it. The Senator's sentiments, however,
are very creditable to him, whatever may
have been the motive that prompted their
u~tterance.