Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-03-04

BoYDToS. Var mafon ~ looo'
To he Editor sffks Dsspofch::
| read in your issue Of February 2'th
letter frcrs Mr.. Thomas Williams
dated al GAINESVILLE, which is deciara.
lively in reply TO communication sent
| yoa from this place on the 9th ult'mo'
and which, after commenting on cd'-
torially yourself. you honored with
place IN your editorial columns IN your
issue Of February 18th. The object o.
| that communication was TO raise the
question whether the county executive
committees have the right An their
capacity as political organizations, 70
| endorse and recommend candidates
for the various Offices in their
respectiye counties at the DIS
posal of the Federal Administration.
and the character Of your able editorial
comment shows that you SO understood
IL. Mr.. Williams, too, seems to have
SO interpreted my former communica-
ton. and instead of responding to the
issue. pleads what he denominates
:. circumstances - as justification for
the action of the committee. | take 1t
that Mr.. Williams himselfwill not deny
the fact that the right to endorse and
recommend applicants for the various
post-offices in this county belonged
originally to the patrons OF the re-
spectiye Offices. This being admitted,
TIE logical and necessary deduction Is
that this right is still in the people un-
less they have at some time and by
some means delegated it to some per-
son or body Of persons to exercise in
trust for them. We examined this
question in our former communication,
and found, we think, even to the satisiac-
ton of Mr.. Williams flor he makes no
response to that portion of the commu-
nication), that the people had never dele
gated this right to the Executive Com
mittee, either expressly or by implica-
ton; and we humbly submit that no
possible circumstances connected with
the post-ofiicc here OF elsewhere in the
county, nor any combination Of such
circumstances, could give the commit
tee any authority to endorse and recon-
mend candidates for the various post
offices in the county, nor form any JUS
LITIGATION whatsoever for its usurpation
Of such authority, but that all lawful
authority in the premises must be de-
rived by delegation from the people.
will say here that the facts connect
ing him with the appointment as given
by the present postmaster differ mate
rally from the insinuations contained in
Mr.. Williams's letter.
Mr.. Williams takes issue with me on
the statement that the action Of the
committee is generally condemned by
the people, and says: - must say
don't think there is an atom Of basis
for this conclusion, as none know so
well when the people are dissatisfied
with such things as This committee.
have not heard the first semblance
Of murmuring even, much less a con-
demnation by the people," Now sub
NIT that the people themselves ought to
know better than "this cOmmiHee'
whether they are dissatisfied with its
action. and that the committee as
whole would be the very poorest author
ity on this point, except an individual
member of it, AID it is in the latter ca
pacity that Mr.. Williams penned his
communication. Can it be that Mr..
Williams failed to see the letter in the
Mecki;aJrg Democrat of the 18th
February signed - Voter! That reads
to me like dissatisfaction, murmuring,
or something Of that character.
Mr.. Williams makes boast that he
and his patriotic coadjutors = voted
every man except one at the GAINESVILLE
precinct last November. and states that
he thinks they are graduated in the art
Of vigorous campaign. The writer is
glad to know, and thinks his fellow
Democrats throughout the State will
rejoice with him in the knowledge, that
the party is so well and ably organized
in GAINESVILLE. But does not the very
fact that Mr.. Williams and his CO.
adjutors are so well skilled in campaign
methods prove the logic Of the reason
ing adduced in my first communication
to support the statement that the pos
session of this power Of recommends
ton could in no wise affect the eff
cheney Of committeeman in the dis
charge of their campaign duties?
For here we have Mr.. Williams
Boosting Of having voted every
man at the GAINESVILLE precinct ON the
4th of November last except one, who
was sick, and yet neither Mr.. Williams
nor his coadjutors knew they possessed
this extraordinary power Of recommen-
dalton until the 9TH day Of February
nearly two months after the campaign
had ended. Proceeding, Mr.. Williams
asks: I" But what boots it if we do have
vigorous campaign if, as the result Of
our labors, the Radicals of this county
are to say who our officers shall be-"
Or. in other words, to the victors be-
long the spoils y; and if this he not true,
what and where are the fruits of victo-
ry! The fruits of every political vic
tory are, or ought TO be, in the triumph
of principles, not in the possession and
bestowal of offices. And if / mistake
not, this is the position of the. Demo-
cratic party to-day, if We may judge
by the letters and speeches of its
leading men. from President-elect
Cleveland through both branches of
Congress. Indeed, the most positive
utterances we have read on this subject
are from speech by the distinguished
senator from Delaware. The cradica-
ton of the spoils doctrine from Ameri-
can politics is now regarded by the
lights Of Democracy as the Democratic
task and the Democratic opportunity.
and many assert that if the old party
proves itself equal to the occasion it
will retain power for generation. Be
sides, if any issue has been made more
prominent by the Democrats in the last
three presidential campaigns than any
of the rest that issue is ciyil-service re-
form. Now, ifMr. Williams means by
his question to say that President
Arthur and his Cabinet should not
be allowed to exercise the functions