New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-05-28
THE CoyGREssnAE,s SAFEGUARD.

Congressman Perkins OF Rochester, offers
food for serious thought TO those legislators in
Washington and at state capitols who are prone
TO show their dislike for the merit system and
try TO circumvent 1t with petty schemes of
patronage. He has been studying the records
of New York Representatives and finds de-
cided tendency to keep them in service for
longer terms. He told the House on Saturday
that previous TO 1851 only one-twelfth of the
men sent to the House of Representatives from
this state obtained a second term. Only one
man in all that time served ten terms and one
nine. Yet the public men of that day We're GER
tainly not inferior either as politicians or as
statesmen to those of this, and they had just
much right to expect TO be continued in Of
fees which they filed creditably. Mr.. Perkins
reports that since 1861 the average duration of
service in the House has doubled, and where
only one in twelve of the New York delega-
ton in the old time served more than one term,
now one in twelve of the whole House has
served more than seven terms OF New YOrk's
thirty seven Representatives three have served
eleven terms or more and one has served nine
terms In spite of unusual shifting. due TO the
Republican sweep of 1904, almost three-fourths
of the delegation have served two terms or
more, which even within comparatively recent
years has been the fortune Of only about one
third of the delegation.
Mr.. Perkins says: mo single thing has done
80 much in increasing the duration of the aver
'age Congressional term as the fact that our
patronage has been largely reduced and he
draws a picture of oldtme conditions in the
Congress districts which will 90 far to convince
politicians who recall them of the truth OF his
diagnosis. The Congressman was once the dis.
penser of all patronage. He climbed TO office
largely on the expectations of the ea ger bone
hunters of his district. Much as he might dis
tribute, ii was never enough TO go around and
for one supporter satisfied. before his term was
over ten supporters were alienated and looking
for candidate who would do better by
them The spOils system put premium on po-
litical overturns. 4 new Congressman meant a
new deal all around so that every new aspirant
for Il clerkship who would seek a Civil
Service examiner became a plOtter to send 10
Congress somebody who was under obligations
10 him, for the man already in Congress was
pretty certain to have his long recognized cli-
ents for every place falling vacant. This sys-
TEN made for continual turmoil and intrigue
which have greatly diminished, leaving law
makers a fair chance 10 do their work and ap-
peal to the reasonable Judgment of their con-
stituents.
This fact should lead every Congressman and
state legislator who cares for q cOmforta-
be and extended career TO support the merit
system, however uucu eager rivals without
hope of advancement through the respect of
their neighbOrs may desire TO climb into office
by promises Of patronage. Spells are weak
ness TO any party which has any other strength
for they hamper the exercise Of that strength
and give equality of opportunity TO organiza-
tons based solely on the cohesive power Of pub
lie plumber. The Republican party in this state
and city is strengthened by every advance in
the application of the merit system and every
reduction in the number of places in the public
service which at the disposal of politicians
whether Republicans or Democrats. Tammany
district leaders to-day complain that they never
before had such difficulty in organizing their
mercenaries, and blame the Civil Service law
which gives public employees and aspirants for
public employment political freedom. That free
dom works at present in state and nation to the
advantage of the Republican party, and will
thus work Just so long as the Republican party
remains the exponent of progressive ideas and
deserves popular confidence When 1t ceases
TO do this it ought to be defeated, and no pa
triotic citizen would wish TO see its power pro-
longed for evil by the mere brute force of pa
! tronage.