Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1893-04-06
THE DAY OF THE PEOPLE.

on the subject are to the same eff
feet that this is an administration
of Democracy pure and simple, and
that Postmaster General Blssell is
not the only member of the AID.
ministration who does not propose
to recognize the '.right" of mem
bers of Congress to select the Fed
eral officials for their districts.
President Cleveland himself, it is
said, will refuse to allow Congress
men to make his appointments,
counting CoDgressman's ''indors
sement" as of no more weight, rels
atively, than that of other good
Democratic citizens.
His object in making this inno>
vation is, the report says, to select
his officials in accordance with the
will of the feople rather than at
the direction Of a self-seeking
politician or patronage boss.
AS the Louisville CouriersJours
nal says, there is nc doubt that
this practice of apportioning the
Federal patronage of a State among
its Representatives and Senators in
Congress has become a serious
evil. Originating in Executive
courtesy" and continued as a
means of maintaining agreeable
cooperative relations between the
President and his party in Cons
gress, it proved 30 effective 10 acA
completing the end, as well as
relieving the President OF 80 much
work, that now, instead Of being a
mere excresceuce upon u govern.
mental system, it has almost virs
tually the force of constitutional
warrant. Under it the Federal
Offices have come tie be regarded
as the personal perquisites of the
United States Senators and Reps
resentatives. and are so apportioned
and utilized by them. Congress-
men not only award these offices
to their special "workers" and
wirepullers, but they bargain them
off before election in the creation
and payment of political debts.
They haye been permitted to do
this SO long that they now consider
themselves the absolute arbiters of
patronage in their districts, and
very naturally abuse their assumed
rights accordingly. No one with
a knowledge of either human ex-
p~erience is ignorant of the tact
that the average Congressman,
however admirable he may be as a
man. never neglects to use to the
utmost for his own selfsh purpose
such advantages as the bestoxal
of this patronage gives him, and it
is idle to say that he will not be-
stow it in the manner to most eff
fectively further his own political
ends rather than for the best i'm
terests of the people or the Govern.
ment.
1t is time that this system of
district patronage bossism were
checked, To-day nearly every
Democratic member of Congress:
is asquat of a little throne of his
owr, hearing the petitions Of appli'
cants for Office and weighing thei
"availabilitv" by the standard Of
the return which they. can make te
him at the next election. The
entire Congressional delegation Of
one State has called a meeting fol
the purpose of deciding who among
their constituents shall be given
Offices, not by their own. but by s
coordinate branch of the Govern
ment. The power appointment does
not belong to Congress. It's mems
bers are not elected to exercise 1t
And yet they devote SO much time
to it that on the incoming Of
new Administration they have NJ
time to attend to the business fol
which they were elected. No won
!, der they vote themselves private
secretaries.
? 1t is not intended to say that
, Congressman should not have q
much voice in determining a Fed
: eral appointment as u othe
good citizen of his district of equa
| prominence. Indeed, it is no
denied that his position should
3 perhaps, give his voice more inf1u
ence in such matters than that o
3 most OF his constituents. Moreover
: if the duties he is elected to pei
: form did no require his time, Their
would be no reason why his recon
;mendation of an oMce>seesk
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