St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-06-21
NOT A SPOILS PARTY.
The Democrats Have Always De-
clared for Civil Service Reform,
AS Will be Seen by Perusa1 of Their
Platform Utterances.

AS Will be Seen by Perusa1 of Their
Platform Utterances.
Special Correspondence of the Globe.
WASHINGTON, June 17.-Murmurings
are now heard in the land that the president
is not making removals fast enough. Re
publicans are still at the banquet OF Office,
while faithful Democrats are lingering,
like Lazarus at the gate, weak with long
fast and weary with hope deferred. Such
is the plant, so it is said, that comes from
Indiana and other states. and here and
there nervous congressman talks ruefully
of the discomfort because public business
has not been suspended that he might hold
the hose-pipe of patronage to play
constantly upon the bed where
the chances for denomination are
sprouting. Some representatives and SEN
ators have taken occasion, in their
speeches, to eXtol the spells system as the
be-all and end-all of politics. 1t has never
occurred TO these gentlemen, who talk so
glibly about the president not being Dem
ocrat, that all the teneJs and traditions Of
Democracy are against the spoilS system.
and that they, the fault-fnderS, not he, are
false to the cardinal principles of Demec-
racy. The general and better conviction
of the party is that the day has gone by
when the patronage can be a potent bond
of organization. If history teaches any
thing, it's lessons are that the spoils syste m
has been
THE BONE OF POLITICS.
its value to party has been overestimated;
as the wise Frenchman observed, it pro-
duces dix micontents ct nu ingrat." (Ten
malcontents and one ingrat.) 1t has ever
been an element of disorganization rather
than conference, especially to the Democ
racy. Such is the lesson of history.
Jackson, according to false popular notion,
inaugurated the spoils system. But what
are the facts? He came into the executive
chair not as spokesman. He said in a
letter to Monroe: In every selection
party and party feeling should be avoided.
The chief magistrate of a great and power
full nation should never indulge in party
feeling" He was the idol of his party,
not because of patronage. but because
of his intense Individuality, his i'm
perious will and his high moral
courage. 1t was during his administration
that Marcy averred in the senate that the
maxim of New York Democrats was, Ito
the victors belong the spoils." Van Buren,
was elected chiefly through Jackson's influ-
ence, but he was the first political presi-
dent. The Democratic Review said of
him:
Party Capitalization at Albany, control
ing offices, formed machine, and working
this machinery gave Mr.. Van Buren, his
title to national hOnors."
His administration builded its hopes on
patronage. What was the result. He was
mir c11r6 loft tod for al 10
carried but seven states and got but sixty
electoral votes. That was what the ''spoils
SYSTEM did for the Democracy. The cam
paign of 1910 had no issue; 1t was
REVOLT AGAINST sPoILs.
and machinery in politics. Harrison rode
the wave of popular feeling, declaring that
zones attitude towards a political party
should not act as prescription in the mat
ter of the appointment to Federal office. !"
Pierce came in as president avOwing in
wild phrase his faith in the spoils system.
A historian records that he fastened the
dissolution of his party by trying to hold it
together by spoiIs. Mr. Buchanan, accord
ing to his biographers. complained that
Pierce had tried to raise up Pierce party
by appointments. But he failed of re-
nomination. The Democracy revolted
against the machine and the bride of spoils,
and the use of that means to secure a sec
ond term made his candidacy not only hope
less but ridiculous. Pierce tried in
1858 to control the politics of
New York and Massachusetts by the
handling of patronage. In both states in
that year the administration was promptly
and stunningly rebuked. Buchanan him
self invoked the patronage, only to find it a
broken reed. johnson used it to bolster up
10 -, 3lo4
deeper contempt. The Democratic party,
despite some exceptional and always harm
full practices, has ever inveighed against
forms, the words of its wisest sages and
leaders. have ever been in accord in de-
nouncing that system. Its remarkable
platform of 1876 spoke the essence of
Democratic principles in the ringing de-
claration: reform is necessary in the
civil service. Experience proves that eff
Gent, economical conduct of
GOVERNMENTAL BUSINESS
is not possible, if the civil service be sub
ject to change at any election; be prize
fought for at the ballot box; be brief re-
ward of party zeal, instead of posts of
honor assigned for proved competency and
held for fidelity in the public employ; that
the dispensing of patronage. should neither
be tax upon the time of our public men
nor the instrument of their ambition"
Scores of times this sentiment has been
iterated in Democratic platforms. In 1881
and 1882 the scorn of the people for mere
spoils politics became a holy indignation.
The New York Democracy in 1881 de-
clared:
''We are in favor of such a reform by
legislative enactment. as well as by admins
trative action in the civil service of the
country, as will substitute for the present
periodical scamble for spoils wise system
of appointments and formation by which
the competency of the subordinate officers
shall be regulated by law and depend only
upon capacity and character"
And the New York Democrats led off in
passing state civil service law.
The Pennsylvania Democracy looked on
in scorn while the Republicans of that
state fought like hyenas for the spoils. In
1882 they spoke their honest contempt in
their platform.
I'VE protest against the spoils system.
It is prostitution of the offices of the
people. so that they become the mere per-
quisteS of the politician. X Public
offices are the property of no party, but are
open to every citizen honest, capable and
faithful to the constitutions; qualifications
which Jefferson decided were the requisites
of Office"
The Democrats in Maine, Iowa, Indiana,
Tennessee, in fact in all the states,
THUNDERED DENUNCIATIONS
against the spoils system. All felt that it
had honeycombed the government with
corruption. The California Democracy
Endorsed the Pendleton bill, declaring that
corruption in politics resulted from enor-
nous patronage in the hands of the presi-
dent and its inscriptions use in carrying
elections.
The Michigan Democrats proclaimed:
I'VE also demand that federal subordi-
nate officers shall not be appointed
or removed because Of political belief, nor
appointed until their ability and merit have
been proved by open, public examination
and competition"
Mr.. Cleveland's election as governor of
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