The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-11-27
0moe-Seeklng.

The order Of the President exclud-
ing office-seekers ard Senators and
Representatives in pursuit of the same
purpose for their constituents from
executive interviews Is an act of moral
courage which sustains all that has
been claimed for Mr.. Cleveland as a
man OF conviction and fearessness In
the path of duty. The act is also ap-
plauded by every disinterested party
IN or out OF politics and, il adhered to,
VIII inaugurate reform and establish
precedent in the duties of the Presi-
dent Tor which his successors will be
thankful. The ofiice-seeking craze
has not been confined TO later admins
trations, lhough-wiih the devclope
ment OF tie country and the expansion
OF the duties OF the governmental
has increased more than in equal pro-
portion. The Grazing for office ap-
peard to have been contemporaneou
in its origin with the foundation of
the present form of government.
In the very earliest days of Wash
ington's administration he was terribly
annoyed by the aspirants for Office, in
fact to such an extent that be was
seriously embarrassed in doing his
duty in his Office. As the government
under the Constitution Of 1887 was
then in its incipient stages there exist
ed multitude of claims upon the
Presidents attention, particularly in
getting the machinery of the Execu-
tive Office in motion. The first Presi-
dent has left among his papers an az
count of the audacity and persistence
of the office-seeker of 1880 He tells
us that he had no peace either day or
night from the importunities of men
clamoring for Office. They focked in
from neighboring States, and even
those more remotely situated and re-
quiring days and weeks of hard jour
neying, by private or public convey
ance or afoot, were not without their
representatives in the general scuffie.
HOW THEY BORED WASHINGTON.
AT last, he tells us, the rivalry be-
came 50 great that the most bold
crowded into his sleeping apartments
before he was out of bed in the morn
ing, and Mrs Washington, that stately
dame in crimped caps, was compelled
TO lie abed, perhaps, with matronly
modesty, with her head under the bed.
clothes, while the President was dress
ing, so as to get rid of the intruders.
This last innovation upon the usual
rules of etiquette governing the routine
OF mans domestic surroundings was
too much for the dignified Washing
ton. He had submitted to a great
many things for the sake of his country
and particularly so as to cause as little
friction as possible, for the new gov
ernment had then hosts of opponents
among the leading minds of the count
ry. He accordingly sent to the Vice
President and members of the Cabinet
a request for their views on certain
questions propounded by him and in
tended TO regulate the official and
social regime Of the Executive house
hold. The replies were a subject of
Cabinet conference, and the rules
drawn up by Jefferson constitute to
this day the foundation of the organic
law of the Presidential office in its
official and social environments.
During the earlier administrations,
the number of Off .es being compare
lively few and political contentious
having higher aims than a war of
spoils, the changes in Office were few.
As Randolph, of Roanoke, put it, few
died and none resigned.
THE sPoILsMEN's FEAST.
In Jackson's time the cry TO the
victors belong the spoils Infused this
disgraceful doctrine into American
politics. Since then the official hours
and leisure moments of the Presidents
have been occupied in catering to the
spoilsmen of their parties The in
cessant badgering and opportunities
added to the natural perplexity of
mind incident TO efforts to please
everybody has broken the heart of
more than one President. 1t under
minded the vigorous constitution of
Taylor and drove Lincoln to a couch
of illness on several occasions. 1t
disturbed the peace of Grants stolid
nature and eliminated in the assissina-
tion of Garfield.
In o conversation then, the Presi-
dent referred to the fact that his whole
time had been consumed in listening
to the appeals of applicants for Office
and their friends that if that were to
constitute the sum of his occupation
for the rest of his four years in office
it was a discoura"ing outlook. When
he lett for the summer he fully made
up his mind to put an end to such an
unnecessary occupation of the time of
the President. When he returned
from his summer recreation in the
Adirondacks he intended not to sub.
init to repetition of his previous ex-
perience with the office-seeking throng,
but yielded in hopes that It's force
would diminish in vigor.
TIE CLAMOR INCREASING.
The approach of Congress, on the
contrary, has increased the number of
clamorous aspirants, reinforced as
they are by the Senators and Repres-
ertatives. With his first annual
message to Congress, due in two
weeks, and many important questions
of public policy to be carefully decided
preparatory to certain recommends
tions the President had no other refuge
than the heroic treatment which he
has res0rted to. In view of all the
buncombe in Congress over civil SER
vice reform, the recent executive order
of the President is the first really sim
cere move in the direction of elevating
the public service above the clamors Of
the spoilsmen.
LII. Mercer wonld especially recon-