Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-13
The Presidents Critics.


The assertion is made, and with much
apparent truth, that the President cannot
depend upon leading members OF his own
party for reliable information with respect
! to applicants for office.
The President is anxious to Obllge his
party friends by appointing to office the
men they recommend, but he recognizes
that it is his duty TO appoint only men
whom he knows to be honest and capable.
During his short experience in Office
he has discovered that the purpose OF
majority of those who use their influence
to secure appointments for friends and ac-
quaintances, is not to get good men into
office, but to get places for those who are
dependent upon them, or TO whom they
are under obligations. They do not seem
to care whether those they recommend
are fit for the places they seek or not.
The President, therefore, is bound TO
make very careful inquiry respecting the
qualifications of about every applicant for
an important position.
1t has been stated, and the statement is
true probably, that many of the petitions
and letters of recommendation in favor
of applicants are signed by prominent
men who have no personal acquaintance
with, or knowledge of, the persons to
whom they lend their influence.
Senators, Representatives and others
prominent in the party not only do not aid
the President in his effort to do the best
he can for the country and the party, but
they actually throw distractions in his
way. BY their refusal to assume the re-
sponsibility of refusing to recommend
unfit men for office, or men of whom they
have no knowledge, they increase the
Presidents burdens. They are afraid by
refusing they will lose a little of their
popularity.
There is another charge that is brought
against leading men in the party at
Washington. 1t is that to the President
they commend the course he is pursuing
with regard to the offices, and condemn it
in the harshest manner in circles where
such condemnation is likely to meet with
approval. 1t does not seem possible that
this charge can be true. Men who are
worthy in the estimation of their fellow
citizens to hold high official positions or
prominent places in the party ought to
have too much self-respect to pursue
course so deceptive and so dishonest.
In recent dispatch in leading jour
nal 1t was stated that the strongest back
ing that some of the Republican officials
have is composed OF Democratic Congress-
men, and it may be that some of these
very Congressman are among the bitterest
of those who denounce the President for
being so slow In removing Republicans.
Before the people JOIN in the cry against
the President because he does not devote
twenty-four hours a day to the considera-
ton of the applications for Office, instead
of ten or twelve, they ought to be pretty
certain that he is not doing the best he
can for them, and that he is not living up
to his pledges and to the platform on
which he was elected.
This is very much bigger country now
than it was when the Democratic party
was in power a quarter of a century ago,
and the number of Ofiice-holders is three
or four times as great, II the President
TO fill the Offices with Demo-
Gratis who will be a credit to the party
and who will improve the civil service he
will have to devote the better part Of his
time to the work during good part Of his
term Of office,