The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-03-31
HOW THEY WENT ABOUT IT
To Get Federal Offices in the Early Days OF
the RepnblIc.

To Get Federal Ofhces in the Early Days o.
the RepnbiIc.
New York, March S0.-The following Il
contained If the Evening Posts Wash
ington correspondence:
1t is edifying, in the midst OF the place
| hunting hurry-skurTy which has marked
the advent OF the Mckinley administra
tor, TO cast the mind back 100 years and
see how the patriots OF those days treatet
| President Adams. the first OF our chic
magistrates to acquire Office as a parry
/ leader and on party issues. They wer-
well brought out by Mr.. Gaillard Hunt.
/ researches in the archives Of the govern
ment for msterial for his series of paper:
on office-seeking in the early days OF th'
| republic.
Philadelphia seems then, as now, L
| have been something Of a political storm
center and TO have contained good
many citizens anxious 20 serve theil
country for reasonable consideration
Frederick a. Muhlenberg wanted to be
made treasurer OF the mint, and took
! pains 10 explain to the president that "a
series of misfortunes 10 a Son-in-Law Of
mine occasioned by french Captures have
affected me very materially, and being al
| present out of public Employment, have
| both Leisure and Inclination TO attend to
the duties of this or any other Office You
may think proper 10 honor me with,
whilst at the same time It would afford
me some aid in a situation I have rever
been accustomed to-
Apparently Office was Office with Mr..
| MuhIenberg, whatever its title, for after
waiting some months he changed his
course and became an applicant for the
Philadelphia collectorship, out was will
ing TO accept either the naval officers or
the surveyors position if the occupant of
either should be promoted to the collect
orship. Nearly three years later, having
failed in all his applications. we find him
appealing to President Jefferson in like
manner, attributing his ill-success with
Adams 10 the hostility of Oliver Wolcott.
Another Philadelphia politician corspi-
cuous at that day was the clever but err
ratio commissioner Of revenue, Tench
Coke. He was turned out Of office during
President Adams term on charges of po-
litical treachery 10 the administration. He
came back TO jefferson with plea that
''the world sees me yet unprovided for
yet urrestored-nly old office held by him
that extruded me-the best Branch Of it
given to another" He wanted that Office
or something equally as good as our
modern politicians would put IL He
scorned anything Of a dignity unworthy
of a man of his especial merit. tine
trivial appointment Of Commissioner of
Bankruptcy" he wrote, which Judge p.
will have the power to render fruit.ess E.
will neither maintain my large
family. repair my substantial losses, nor
restore me TO public honor and confidence.
The oTce cannot produce 1900 Dollars per
arnum, and is very uncomfortable and
inconvenient one"
The of1ce-seekers of 1877. like their sue
cessors in 1897, did not always wait for
dead mems shoes, but were ready to step
into the shoes OF the dying if they could
thereby forestali dangerous rivals. At
Norfolk, Va, the collector OF the port.
Colonel William Lindsay. fell i'll. Letters.
therefore, begar 10 pour in, referring to
the necessity Of choosing a successor be-
cause 'he Lindsay is now reduced so
low that 1 think he cannot last many
days" or. ian Indisposition which has
long afflicted the collector of this port
must very speedily terminate MS Exist
e-ce, an event much 70 be lamented, ETC."
etc. The object Of these appeals proved
TO be the preservation of the salary OF the
office TO the sick mans family; for they
were accompanied with recommendation
from one Francis Taylor, "a Young Gen
tleman of talents and Integrity" because
ear alliance will shortly take place be-
tween him and Daughter Of the Collect
or"
All this aroused the cd soldier element.
who condemned in unmeasured terms
this attempt 70 "foist over the heads OF
others a young man unborn. or az best
but in his cradle, at the commencement
Of our Revolution" Daniel Bedinger.
who had under former collector served
as deputy and was now surveyor, hoped
TO be promoted. Colonel Otway Byrd. also
a veteran OF some note. had aspirations.
Byrd's military claimss doubtless stirred
UP Bedinger's friends. who. not wishing
to see him eclipsed. wrote OF him that he
was faithful officer in the late war,
having entered into the service very
young and continued TO the end Of tae
war" But ii appears that Byrd was
more than this He acted his part in the
late Revolution ard is a firm supporter
Of the present government and admins
'tration-" Bedinger evidently could not
show an equally clear political record. |
for Byrd got the Office. and Bedinger's
friends raised a great huTrab over the !
partisan prescription 10 which their man
had fallen a victim This accusation !
aroused the presidents ire. and he re-
scented i rather targiy in Ietter in which |
he denied that ANY mans spoli;ical creed
would be ar insupsrabIe bar 10 promo |
ton No such rule" he added. mas ever |
6een adopted. Political principles AMI dis
cretlon viii always be considered. win al |
other qualifications. and well weighed, II |
al appointments"
These are only few q many cases re-
vcaled by fhs government records. The /
moral Is obvious
BEST OF ALL
To cleanse the system IN z gentle aa5 1
truly beneficial manner. when the spring
time comes. use the true and perfect rem
edy. Syrup % Figs. One bottle all an
swer fc- al the family aa3 costs only .
cents; the large SIZE 81 Buy the zers-
Inc. Manufactured BY the California Fig
Syrup company only. ard for sale By al
druggists.
Tae weather bureaus prediction %
tornado yesterday -; ar the = ayers "a
.5sa 70 making q ta5uia;ed Ast ~ ;aa
god la.ngs hey have daas E.acs tss
beginning y TIE b0sn.
CASTSRIA
=. G.- II