The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-03-08

instance. the president standing beside
the public vaults. with arm piung-
led elbow-deep into the Overlooking
Treasury, while the other is distribut-
ling the golden store to a greedy horde
lof eager men, PostmaSters. collectors
of customs, revenue officials. marShaas,
attorneys, consuls, foreign ministers
IalI these and more are among h re-
lcipients of n presidents bounty. The
Ionly check is the approval Of the United
States senate: and the members of that
body, knowing that their constituents
are drinking deeply Of the golden
Istream, rarely interpose an objection"
What a spectacle for men and angels.
lone man having ability to debauch a
nation and fix its policy. foreign and
domestic, and corrupt its electors and
Icontrol and debauch the m~ultitudinous
~offcials, What possible hope can there
be for a country, Theoretically a repub-
lie, that is successfully bossed by one
little weak. v~acillating, time-seCving,
ambitious demagogue whose head is
completely in a whirl and before whose
vision float the splendor of crowns and
honors and supreme owe and a pos
lsible rivalry of Cromwell and Napoleon.
But what a huge contrast between n
two greatest of modern historical char
lacters, and the small politician run by
Marke Hanna and the creatures of the
hour.
Mr.. West shows a growth Of power
under Cleveland. But we are not con-
lcerned today with the extraordinary
lpOwers of this man who. Mr.. West
Says, used his executive powers Ito such
an extent as to win the support of hos
lsenators whose votes were needed to
accomplish the presidential purpose.
No one who is at all familiar with the
Inner history of that memorable n
dramatic struggle will dispute these
statements. which could be made
lspecific by the recital of details in many
Instances which came under my person.
al knowledge" 1t is with Mckinley
that now the country has to deal, for
he is the usurper and ambitious horse
back rider who is to be feared. Mr..
West says, and alas. It is but too GER
tain, too true, that men whose politi-
Ical life depends upon the distribution
lOf federal offices to themselves or to
IIlST 1T1eIIuS VIII VI VIZ LII bO" NC
fore the executive who. with much
ladroitness, bangles the golden prizes
lust above their heads. This is human
mature, much to be ~deplored, perhaps,
but none the less real. 1t is this which
lenableS a president 70 secure his re-
nomination, despite the hostility of a
Istrong minority in his party"
There is much of danger lurking in our
hitherto supposed free institutions"
THE tendency is downwards. towards
what seems to be an lrrepreSsib1e CEN
l~traliDation- How The rapid decline is
Ito be stopped may not appear certain.
a turning out of the republican party
lis a necessity. If it continues in power
it will surely destroy the American
government and all genuine republican,
democratic Institutions and rights.
Mr.. West suggests as a safety-valve
that the president be readered ineligible
to reelection with a term Of but -four
or six years. He writes that lit is pos
lsible that senators and representatives
would become less obedient if they knew
lthat the presidential hand would soon
lose it's g~ift-dispensing quality. If this
plan be not feasible. American states
men might we'll undertake the task of
ldevising some other "a of curtail-
ing the presidents growing power" 1t
has come to this. that unless n peo-
pie look diligently and strongly after
their own liberties they will be stolen
from them. They cannot trust politi-
clans of easy virtue" and pliable ma
lures, who are ~self-seeking and open to
Ikhe golden" influences OF rapacious,
RECKLESS, ambitious, corrupt Chief Exc
Icutives. Power Is always stealing from
1.-THE many to the few. Eternal vigi-
lance is the price of liberty"
Senator HOar, of Massachusetts, in
the senate, referred to the Spooner
amendment to confer absolute, mon
I%archical w over twelve millions
of human beings upon two citizens-the
president and the first civil governor
appointed, as pure. simple. meditated,
unchecked despotism."