Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-05


removal by the explry Of the term. II
dismissal without reason during q briel
term Is wrong, dismissal without reason
at the end OF such term caunOt be justi'
fed upon any sound business principle
Reform, ~ we understand ~, seeks TO
take the whole non.politlcal public sery.
Ice out OF politics. But the Edmunds
bill thrusts ~ Into politics. The service
would be necessarily partisan, aud a
psrtlBan service would be what II has al
ways been, the most despotlc, uusorup-
ulous and dobasing OF party machines
In the situaton which the Edmunds bin
would invite the only restraint upon the
complete prostitution OF patronage to
party would be tho chance Of reform
president. But this would be but a mo
mcntary relief aud tbs chance OF re-
form president would certainly not bG ia
creased by the unrestricted power Of lllI-
Ing the whole public service with active
personal partlsans.
There Is one other plea for rotation Ia
Office which W the final defense ~ the
1 system that makes spois Of the public
service. II ~ asserted that our govern.
ment Is government Of party, and that
thorough party organization and effect
I've party diligence would be impossible
without the reward OF place. II ~
commended that the spur Of party ambl-
ton In great party leaders, in Pit or
Fox, In Clay or Calhoun, in Gladstone
or Dlsraeli IL the desire Of reaching
great plnco 10 direct an imperial policy
II Clay may properly aspire to be presi-
dent and claim the presidency as a
reward OF illustrlous party Service why
should the same desire aud the same
claim IN small and humble degree be
denied TO tho follower OF Clay who
cannot make speech, but who can
bring out the votersY This IL plausi
bic plen, but even when sincere II
totally mlsconceiyes the facts. In u
free country undoubtedly political am.
billion IL the ambition TO govern, and
when great questions arise and the
country divides upon great policies Of
government those who by resstless
argument and burning appeal success.
lully mold public opinion are naturally
placed where they can make that Conyic-
lion law and enforce IL IN admlnlstra-
ton This IL the legitimate result OF
the successful appeal Of political leaders
In the country. But neither Clay nor
van Buren,, nor any other Ameri-
can citizen could claim the presidency on
man wro brings out the voters and
threats the hoysn and "ruus the ma
chine" should be set to appaisng mus
Inns, or weighing spices, or keeping books
IN public Office upon the same principle
that party leader Is called to organize
the measures OF the policy which he has
proposed, aud which the country has APP
proved, Is TO Insult the public common
sense
The legitimate and healthy contest OF
parties In republic IL not To be dopre-
Gated. ~ Is The controversy OF principles,
inc argument OF policleg, the great con-
lentlon 70 which the political genius OF
the hngllsh-speaklng race especially in
cllnes. But patronage DESTROYS lCgitl.
mate party action, and the reckless party
spirit, against which Washington be-
queathcd us his last and most solemn
warning, constantly strives to substitute
personal and private ends for public pur
poses, aud to make party contest strug
gle for the public money IN the emolu-
ments OF petty place instead OF great
appeal To the country for public pollcye
The llrst great party change OF admin
lslratlon In our own history followed the
election OF Jefferson. In less than ten
years tins party had prevailed over the
party OF Washington and Jay and Uamll-
ton, ana was thoroughly organized en-.
thuslastr and triumphant. But IL had
advanced to national supremacy, not only
without the control of the patronage, but
without the hope Of IL. Not only had IL
no such excuse for assessing or such
means OF dlscipllning Its members, but
tnefe was no promise or general eXpecLa-
tiOh OF obtaining place by clean sweep |
OF federal office holders. "Some remoy |
AIS sald Jefferson, ~ know must be |
maze lhey must . as few as possible.
done gradually, and Dottomed on some
malversa,lon or Inherent disqualification
GOOD men TO whom these Is no objection
put a difference OF political opinion, prac |
tlSed on only so far rs tue right of \ nrl. |
Vate cliiHtn viii Justify, are not proper
subjects Of removal" These were Jeficr- |
sonian principles, They are absolutely
ana directly opposed TO the ,Jacksonian |
princiFle, TO the ylctors belnpp The |
Spots OF the enemy These are the urin. |
clples OF westinghouse well as Jefferson, |
tue principles ul true Democracy not In |
party sense hut In that sense in which
every true American IL Democrat re-.
form In the first party change of admins.
tratlpn did not mean turning out honest
anu tnelehl poStmasters, and nipht
walchmen aud messengers az rascals. IL
meant strict construction OF Che conatItu.
Non, restriction Of national powers. The
fostering OF state sovereignty, reduction
oil taxes, economy and simplicity ia GOV.
eminent. 1t did not moan a clean s,yeep
OF minor places, for there were fewer
places upon the national register when
Jefferson was lnaugurated than there are
now upon the New York custom house
alone That single fact proves the NO.
surd untrath II tho assertion thai tpe
prospect OF spoils Is the spring OF party
Ihe election which has Just aroused
ana shaken the British empire from Son
60 seq, and which the London Times said
was to determine the most momentons
Issue ever decided by a general election
IN Eogland, is Il signal Illustration of tbe
leRiumete contest Of party, It was a |
tremendous controversy upon a great
national question Every Intelligent
Engllshman and Soctchman and Irishman
was as earnestly Interested In that elec. |
uon as every patriotic American was ab. |
soroed IN Tue great contentious that /
preceded and accompanied our war for 1
hA "FaN