The herald., 1897-09-03
A CASE OF SPOIL

The Wimberiy con ntroversy in Wash
ington and New Orleans, which relates
to the question of the incumbency Of the
office of collector Of the port of the latter
city, has added one more chapter to the
unspeakable nastiness Of the "spoils'
system as administered by Mr.. Hanna.
Of course it Is assumed that every in
telligent citizen understands that the
entire control Of the federal patronage
is the special right Of Mr.. Hanna, by
virtue of contingent agreement ante
dating the sitting Of the ST. Louis con-
vention. The indications all point to a
condition that reduces the executive
function to an act, or acts, of unques-
tioning acquiescence.
The collectorship of New Orleans Is
now the case in point. A. T. Wimberly,
the aspiring candidate, is declared
through an exhaustive protest of several
hundred women of the first families Of
New Orleans to be person of such vile
character that his appointment would
be an insult to the people Of that city as
we'll as disgrace to the public service
But Wimberly was one Of Hanna's polit-
ical agents during the presidential cam
paign and has claimed the fulfillment of
Hanna's pledge of the collectorship, and
Hanna has acquiesced.
1t was at this stage Of the upward,
march of Wimberly that there was
placed before Secretary Gage the protest
signed by more than five hundred women
of New Orleans, directed against the
candidacy of Wimberly In this protest
the aspiring boss was subjected to such
an arraignment upon moral grounds as
might reasonably suffice to drive even
the filthiest Turk to hide his lecherous
head for shame.
Secretary Gage promptly declared that
he would surrender his portfolio before
he would appoint such man to office.
The energy of the secretary's denunc ncia-
tion saems to have transiently impressed
the president, and Wimberly's appoint
ment was deferred. 1t was then that
Wimberly reminded Hanna of the glow
ing promise Of 1896, and Hanna came to
the rescue. He visited the president, and
as result the commission of Wimberly,
duly signed by the president, was handed
in to the secretary.
And now the question is one between
the president and the secretary. The
Ia fo hn tpt
ment. Hanna is insis.ent that his favor
lite be recognized and the president
makes a demonstration in support of
Hanna, notwithstanding that the facts
of Wimberly's record were laid before
him by Secretary Gage.
1t is not recognized at all, except by
the secretary, that the public morals,
or public decency, or the public interest
have any rights whatever in this mat
ter. 1t is enough that political services
have been rendered. The terms of the
compact stand implied They are some
what of this cast: The struggle is for
the control of the national treasury in
all its ramifications. If we win, our cap
tains will be cared for without regard to
character or fitness, in proportion to the
value of the services rendered. Public
office is the reward for political services,
and this will be dispensed and no ques-
tions asked, in the hour of success. All
this time the presidents official sigma
ture is attached to the commission of
man whom the secretary declines to re-
that the appointee Is man of such
notoriously bad character that he is un-
fit for the responsibilities of official in
cumbency.