Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-07-17
Shall Democrats Have Office!


! u tuC tbC SlpiiH,
is a phrase that is very misleading
The prase was coined to express the
necessary course of any political
party in power. But. like many
other phrases and words which are
innocent and offensive in their lOgi-
ical import, disreputable use has
been made of them, and they have
been forced to bear an illogical i'm
port. We believe that the people of
free country should look to the
party i'll power for faithful admin
istration of the government. We
believe the party in power should he
held strictly accountable for the en-
tire and complete policy upon which
the government is carried on. In
the very nature of things it is tho
only organized entity that could
receive the plaudits of al approving
people, or the strong words of con-
demnation of disaproving people.
We believe that power commensur-
ate with responsibility should be
given to the party in power. Hence,
while the phrase I" to the victor be
long the spoils" may CRATE harshly
upon the ears of those of a mug
wumpish turn Of mind, we are free
to declare our belief in the doctrine
that the party in power should have
control of every federal Office the
administration of which affects the
general or special policy of the par
ty in power. This is both reason
able and logical. We do not mean
to say by this, that, upon the ad-
vent of party to power. it should
proceed at once to make wholesale
removals for no other purpose than
to get its own party friends in places
Of emolument and profit, but we
do say that the party should have
the power to remove without re-
straint, except that which would ex-
ist i'll the open responsibility which
it owes to an intelligent, discrimina-
ting public. We cannot understand
why party in power should be re-
preached with seeking the spoils of
Of Office, when the members of that
party have won a right to them and
ask for them, and at the same time
let the defeated party who seeks to
retain the Offices after being ovated
60 free of such charges.
In other words, we cannot under
stand why a Democrat who seeks the
Office of Collector of Customs at
Boston should be reproached with
the charge of being merceuary,
while the Republican who seeks to
retain that Office is allowed to pass
free from such charges. 1t is all
bosh and hypocrisy. And when
Marcy coined the phrase. "to the
victor belong the spoils," he simply
meant to convey the idea we have
advanced above. No party ever ex-
emplifed the truth of this more for
cibIy than the Republican party dur
ing the period of twenty-four years
which it held power. And that par
ty would do the same thing again if
restored to power. Suppose at the
end of Cleveland's term the Repub-
lican party should be restored to
power in the election of Blaine, Lo.
gan, Sherman, or any other leader
of that party; is any one foolish as
to think that such new president
would not proceed at once to turn
bis party enemies out and put in his
party friends. Thisis just what that
party did and what it would prompt
ly do again, if restored to power.
They would do this too upon the
very ground of responsibility we
have named above. Democrats AL
over the country very naturally and
pertinently ask why $4,000 OR 1OO,-
600 Republican officials should be
kept in power when they were led to
believe last Fall that they were vot-
ing them out of power. This coun-
try can never be we'll ruled other
than through instrumentality of pol
itical parties, and no party organiz-
alton can be maintained unless we
establish the doctrine that the offices
should be given to the party in pow.
er. that it may establish and carry
out a policy of it's own in the admin
istration Of the government.