Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-03-06
Appointments TO once.
To the Editor of the Dispatch j.:


To the Editor of the Dispatch:
As you have shown so much libe-
rality to your Mecklenburg correspond
ents, will you permit an old lifelong
Democrat to have his say concerning
appointments to office? Of course any
committee, if it sees fit, can meet and
ask what it may choose Of the Presi-
dent, but men of sense everywhere will
recognize that in no sort of way is the
President bound to act in compliance
with the wishes Of such committee. 1T
is also an undisputed fact that if the
people see fit to do it, or II any
party sees fit to do so, poll
can be opened to decide who ought to
be appointed postmaster at any and
every cross-road Office in the country,
and yet that action in no sort OF way
would be binding on the President OF
the United States or the Postmaster
General. While it is probable that the
President will wish to appoint men that
will prove satisfactory to the people
living near any office, yet as the office
is entirely " Federal " one, doubtless
in filling such Offices he will hardly lose
sight of the fact that his first duty is to
all the people of the United States.
The appointment in no sort of sense
belongs to any committee of a local
character or to the people living near
post-0flioe.
Mr.. Arthur having practically turned
over to the little cx-Boss the whole
Federal patronage of Virginia land he
seems to have kept the bargain he is
supposed to have made with the ex-
Boss to the very last moment, it would
really look like that some Democrats
now thought that such appointments of
right should be at the disposal of GER
tain local committees or the majority Of
a party living in the neighbOrhood.
1t should not be forgotten that all of
the States of the United States are just
as much interested in such appoint
ments as the State where post-ofiice
may be, and consequently the power to
fill such appointments is vested in the
President of the United States, and
who is the representative of the people
of all the States. 1t would not by any
means hold good that a candidate
who could get the most votes in
his neighborhood for such po-
sition was the best qualified for
it. 1t should certainly not be forgot
ten by Democrats that Grover Cleve-
land never would have been President
had he not been more popular than any
party, and his popularity was owing
to the fact that he did not always
run with the machine In
other words, not in profession, but
in practice. he has shown himself
a true ciyil-seryice reformer." To
see man running with the
Malone crowd in Virginia and crying
out for " ciyil-Service reform y is to my
mind like a man throwing black mud in
spring with q view of making such
spring clear. think | voice the feel
ings of vast majority of the people
who elected Mr.. Cleveland when en-
press the hope that he will, on his own
clear Judgment, aided by members Of his
Cabinet, make all the appointments
which the Constitution requires him
to make. Very certain am if little
"local committees " are to be the gov
erning party as to appointments pro-
perly belonging to the President then
the people will fail to get what they
bargained for when they voted for Mr..
Cleveland. The honest truth is the re-
fiecting people who sustained Mr.. Cleve-
land are looking to him to make such
appointments as will enable his admin
istration to be crowned with success.
think the true theory is that appli-
cants for office should furnish the Presi.
dent with such endorsements as should
have weight with man well yersed in
all the arts of politicians, and then
leave the matter to him to decide ion
the merits of the case) as shown by the
real value Of the evidence furnished
him. JUST So.