Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-08-14
Partisanship, Offensive and other.
From the Worcester Spy

From the Worcester Spy
Gen. Wells was gallant cavalry officer
in the late war. and sometime after its
close was appointed collector of customs
mt Burlington. Vermont. The office was
in bad condition when he entered it, but
he soon reduced it to order, and has been
ever since one of the most faithful and
efficient collectors in the service. He is a
Republican. but has not been very active
in notifies, and in his official capacity has
been thoroughly bipartisan. He was re
appointed by President Arthur in 1854,
and his term of Office would therefore cN-
pirc about three years hence
Mr.. Smallov has been for many years
clerk of the United States District Court,
an Office not now so lucrative as it for
merlv was, but one of the most prOiita-
BILE inv the state. He has been all this
time the most Jealous and aggressive pol
itcau in the state, and member of the
Democratic National committee. He has
held his office. notwithstanding, no effort
having been made TO remove him for of
fensive parti-anship. Since Mr.. Cleve.
lands election, Mr. SmallcY has expected
and tried to obtain the Office of collector
at BURLINGTON. because its salary and
emOlumputs are larger than those of his
clcrkShiD He has never denied that Gen.
refused tu make any charges of "OtfenSiVe
partislushiu " He is reported as saving
that he would have nothing to do with
any attack upon Gen. Weiss character
personal or official. because there was no
GROUND for such attacks. but he expected
that General Wells would be removed be
cause he is a Republican, and that he
himself would he appointed because he is
a Democrat. He thought he had deserved
the Office by his services to the party, and
did not want it on any other terms
Charges of offensive partiSanshlp were
made against General Wells, however
They were at first rejected, because either
the accusation or the proof WAS insult
cient, but they were renewed with amend
ments and supplementary evidence and
now Mr. Smalley Is appointed collector in
place of General Wells, removed. The
office is not of great national import
ance, but as test of the Presidents sin
certy and adherence to his civil service
reform professions this case is as good as
any other. There is no doubt about the
facts. General Wells has been an ex-
emplary official ; to that Mr. Smalley as
sents as fully rs any one. He has not
been an offensive partisan that also, Mr..
Smalley comedies. His term of office had
three years yet To- run. There is no cause
for his removal such as the president has
repeatedly said THAT he should require in
such cases. He is removed simply be-
4 u
for Democrat who wanted it, and whose
appointment was urged by influential
friends whom the president. if otherwise
reluctant to make the change WlS unWil.
ling to disObligc.
/ How is it with his successor # the
+ President Is convinced or pretCnds tu he
convinced that General Wells is an often
sive partisan, he surely would not, in face
of his own declarations. remove an often
SiVe partisan of one party for the sake of
appointing an equally or more offensive
partisan of the other. Some of his adj
| mirers have repeated a pretty story Of his
warning Il newly appointed officer that he
must not bring politics into his office.
Il would flip you out as quick as light
ming he is reported to have said" just as
quick as | would a Republican doing the
same thing" We have not heard, by the
way, of his Tipping out Auditor Cheno-
weth, or Higgins, or POSTMASTER Jones
of indianapolis, though it is some weeks
since their otfenses were brought to his
attention. The Presidents notions of the
velocity of lightning are, perhaps, not in
conformity with the teachings of science
But let us return from this DEPRESSION tl
Mr.. Smalley. He has all the marks which
| the president and the commentators on
his declarations, public and private, have
specified as distinguishing the offensive
partisan. lie is an active politician he
is prominent in the party organization
/ he makes political speeches he collects
and distributes party funds he busle>
| himself in the division of the spOilS amOnt
party workers he is unsparing and bit
ter in denouncing the men as well as the
principles of the opposite patty, and Is, Il
put it as mildly as possible, not more than
usually scrupulous as to the methods q
party warfare. He was conspicuous
among those who published and circula
lated the "Morey letter forgery at the
close of the Garfield campaign, for exam
pie.
But" say the Presidents defenders
"Mr., cleveland discriminates between par
tisans in Office and partlsans out of office
A man may be Il virulent partisan while il
private life and it is nobody's business
What the President regards as sufficient
cause for removal in Il Republican anC
will not tolerate in Democratic official i
partisanship in office. Mr.. Smalley ma.
have been rank partisan hitherto, bu
he will be required to leave his partisan
ship outside of the collectors Office
But Mr.. Smalley has been in Office all thi
time. He is clerk of the United State
District Court, and we suppose that parti
sanship is not less offensive in that Ollie
than in any other. There Is no reason t.
suppose that, having been an active AM
Jealous politician while Il clerk of court
he will suddenly drop politics when h
becomes collector of customs. Pres
dent Cleveland, of course, knows al
these facts. Perhaps his admirers will b.
able to reconcile them with his profession
of devotion to civil service reform