Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-03-29

Rcsipeate.
The Government ofloes
Al Washington letter IN the Alex
| sndris Corette Of Friday says:
Representative Barbour Is SO beset
bv ofsjce-seckcrs that he is kept on the
pad al day and cvcn part Of the night,
80 that Il is hard matter to find him.
| The Gaseife's correspondent met him
| to-day on his way to the Post-0tiice Dc
psrtmcnt to try 10 do something for
somebody in his State. In the short
| talk that esksued he said he did not want
il 10 be understood. because 1t was
not so. that he differed with the
rest Of the Virginia Democratic
delegation in Congress ~ TO the
propricty Of comforting upon the sub
ject Of the distribution Of Federal patro-
mage among the several districts Of the
State, for the purpose, il practicable, OF
reconciling differences and arranging
that patronage satisfactorily TO the seve-
raj districts, and TO prevent an unseemly
contention among people Of the same
State for the same office. Such a con-
ference. he said, took away no mans
right to apply for an Office, nor was
such its intention. He said that Vir-
GINA was unlike oil the other southern
States in the fact that while all the
others had Democratic senator's to
look after the distribution Of the
Federal patronage in them, she
had no Senator to attend 70 her
interests in that respect, and had to de-
pend upon her Representatives. He said
that so far as the patronage outside Of
the State was concerned, that was a
matter with which he thought the con-
ference had nothing to do. He then
said that whatever the conference had
done was. and whatever ii might do. If
anything, would be only Recommended
tory, and that its action was only in
tended to be Of such character, and
in no way to interfere with the privi-
lege of any man TO be an applicant for
any Office he was disposed to coyet."
The subject is difficult or delicate
one to treat properly for another rea-
son. The persons who censure the GUS
tom in question are at once assumed to
be either unfricndly to their congress
man or aggricyed because he did not
recommend" (why not say cap
point, since this is the right word to
describe the fact y their favorites. We
published yesterday communication
from gentleman whom we might
characterize as the most distinguished
statesman in Virginia, and yet we ven
ture to say that even that gentleman
was suspected of being disappointed
seeker of Office either for himself or his
friends--a most unjust and totally-un-
founded suspicion.
II is a difficult subject to deal with.
Although it is entirely wrong for con-
gressmen to meet together to 'recom-
mend " such distribution of the Gov
ernment Offices as will please them, yet
if the Administration adopts the rule OF
appointing TO Office only such applicants
as congressman recommend, the con-
gessinan who does not recommend any
body will have no officers appointed in
his district. So, again, although con-
gresham may only recommend" yet
under the custom just alluded to, the
applicant recommended will get the
Office, and the applicant not 'recom-
mendcd " will chew the cud Of disap-
pointment.
We are sure that it is wrong for the
Administration to turn over the Offices
TO the congressmen-wrong for the
executive department Of the Govern
ment TO abdicate its functions and al
low them to be exercised by the legis-
lative department-but we have not
yet discovered the remedy for this
wrong. We know that the congress-
men being fallible and temptable
human beings, will favor one another's
favorites. "You tickle me and I'll
tickle you will be the rule of selec-
ton too often. We know that the
people are greatly dissatisfied with the
state Of things, not to say scandal
lied. But again we say, Who is
to be blamed. Whose fault is
it? The Republicans did it when
they were in power. But is not
the custom one that ought to have end
ed with the rule Of the Republican
partys Are Democrats to have no
bility "a privileged class standing at
the foot Of the throne, and command
ing the ear of the King? We say leave
such customs to the party that origi-
mated them, end let all the people be
heard who wish to be heard whenever
an Office is to be filled. We are not
willing TO be reduced to choice he
tween n ciyil-DenslOn list and congress