The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-16
POLK AND PATRONAGE.

When the historian Bancroft died in
1891 his valuable library was pur-
chased by the Lenox library of New
York, provision having been made
that it should first be offered to the
government, but Congress took no ac-
ton on the matter. In that library is
the diary kept by President Polk dur
ing his incumbency of the White
House. In the current number of the
Atlantic Monthly is an article by
James Schouler on this same diary 1t
is Interesting in the extreme, but
nothing in it is more interesting than
the excerpts from the diary regarding
patronage and office-seel1ing. On
March 4, 1916, Polk makes this entry:
"a year gone and the pressure for Of
fee has not abated. VIII this pressure
never cease? I most sincerely wish
that I had no offices to bestow. If I
had not, it would add much to the
happiness and comfort of my position.
AS it is, I have no office to bestow
without turning out better men than
large majority Of those who seek
their places"
But the constant pressure for Office
did not cease; it never did cease; it
never will cease so long as there are
offices to bestow and multitudes seek
ing them. And this was what President
Polk found out. Even after Folks sue
cessor had been elected in 1S4S the
pressure for office continued the same.
and the President at that late date
was constrained to write: The herd
of office-seekers are the most unprin-
cipIed persons in the country AS
mass they are governed by no princi-
pie"
That is probably the opinion of every
occupant of the White House
since the Inauguration of the
spoils system, could their honest
opinions have been obtained. 1t
was Folks opinion, further, that the
patronage would weaken any admin
istration. Such has been the view of
all who have studied the matter
closely. And experience has proven it
to be the case.
Polk found that he could not rely
upon the representations made to him
by members of Congress. when 1
act upon the information which they
give me, and make a mistake, they
leave me to bear the responsibility, and
never have the manliness to assume
it for themselves
That describes Mr.. Clevelands ex-
perience during his first administra-
ton when a particularly bad appoint
ment was made and the man upon
whose recommendation it had been
made wrote a letter to the President
saying he never thought for single
moment that it would be made or he
never would have recommended it.
Not only did President Polk find pat
ronage a curse, but SO did Pierce's sec
rotary of state. This was William L.
Marcy, of New York, to be forever
famous in American history, not as
senator from New York and governor
of the Empire state, but as author of
the saying the 'spoils of the enemy
belong to the victor" Even the author
of that piratical expression wearied of
its application when in Office When
Pierce's administration came into
power Marcy succeeded Edward
Everett as secretary of state. Bu-
chanan, who had held the same posi-
ton under Polk CMarcy had held the
war portfolio in the same administra-
tom, says that, Governor Marcy told
me that he had not been able, since his
appointment, to devote one single hour
together to his proper official duties.
His time had been constantly taken up
with office-seekers and cabinet coun-
cils.'
Could there be a stronger condemna-
ton of the spells system that which
Polk and Marcy put upon it?
The trouble with spells is that pc
matter how much there is, there is
never enough to go around. But more
than that it takes altogether too much
of the Presidents and heads Of depart
ments' time to divide them. Polk and
Marcy both found this to be the case,
and some day the whole country will
find it to be the case. What a COM
ment upon the system is that of
Marcy, who formulated the doctrine
of the spoils system! Political patron
age is neither a blessing to those who
give nor to those who receive.