The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-02-05
THE "sPoILs'' STRUGGLE.


THE "SPoILS" STRUGGLE.
The Republican members of tho o. s
Senate are making strenuous efforts to
confirm number of appointments made
in due course Of expiration of office. by
| President Taft. The Democrats are
opposing these combinations. There il
no good reason why they snould make
this opposition. because the whole mat
ter will be in their own hands within a
very short time, and any Offices which
they really want they can take. Be
sides, the opposition 10 the transaction
Of the regular business of the public
as it comes along is never justified, and
least of all is ii justified on a mere
matter Of q scramble for Offices, Thus,
the New York Evening Post. a strong
Wilson PAPER. assails with great power
the opposition Of 'he Democratic Soma.
tors in the following words
The Democratic party is being present
| ed in n most disagreeahlc llght before the
country. by the wholesale hoid-up OF
| President Taft's appointments in the
senate. There may be good reason for
Withholding confirmation OF some OF the
1900 appointments awaiting action by the
Senate. but an und!scrlmlnating refusal
10 act. with view to keeping these Of
hces open for the incoming President TO
I'LL. IL plain acknowledgment that posts
| In the public service are regarded by the
Senate Democrats simply party spoils,
or as so many opportunities for personal
patronage. II seems hardly possible that
this position or crude and undisguisod
spoilsmonGoring VIII be long maintained ;
certain u is that II persisted IN, - VIII
go far toward starting that reaction
against the victorious party 10 which II
is exposed under the best OF circum-
| stances, and OF which. in the complex
situation with which the new Admins
trat,on and the new Congress VIII have
to deal. the danger Will be unusually
great 1t is TO be hoped that enough
breadth OF mind Is 10 be found among
the Democratic leaders of the Senate TO
bring TO an end this petty business. and
try to keep the conduct OF the party on
a plane bcittiug the greatness OF IT'S OPP
portunitv and the seriousness or Its re-
sponslOiuty.
And again, from inc same paper the
condemnation is thus continued:
The hold-up OF President Tarts ap-
polntments by the Democratic Senators
would be bad enough II the party had
majority in the Senate and the pro-
ceedins accordingly had at least the
quality OF smoothpess-or. as Mayor
Gaynor might put Il. OF outward de-
cency." But the affair. which would
be highly discreditable AT best, gcts a
touch OF the positively scandalous from
the fact that II is only by resort 10 tho
methods Of filibusters that the obsJruc-
ton by the Democrats OF the ordinary
process Of confirmation OF Presidential
appointments can be kept up, Obstruc-
two tactics are justidable in some situa
lions, but never except when some great
principle is at stake or II can be alleged
that the act sought to be obstructcd
IL al I,.s. IL
interests No pretense OF anything OF
the kind can be made In the present in
stance, there is nothing In the affair but
A brazeu determination TO grab by hook
or by crook. something more Of the Of
fees by the Incoming party than would
naturally fall 10 It's share 10 dlstrib-
ute.
There is no doubt but that This is a
sound position to take. The Democrats
will come into control Of the offices al!
right IN due time, but until they DO
come into coH,rol. 10 is 4 - dog-In-the-
manger policy, and an obstruction Of
public business, TO pu5 themselves in
the way Of opposing the changes that
naturally come along. The New York
Tribune very pertinentlv says in this
connection:
Democrats at washington are resolved
not TO let President TAFT make appoint
nients 10 vacancies actually occurring
during his term, while at the same time
they support their President elect I'm his
pretension Of the right 10 fll as Governor
of New Jersey, vacancies which Will not
occur until long after he has retired from
that office. But then, Emerson said that
consistency was something with which q
great mind had nothing to do!
=.
both ways, The Democrats are oppos
ing in the Z. s. Senate precisely the
very thing that they urge in New Jer
sey.
When we add that the announce
ment is made, apparently by authority,
that Governor Wilson will not ill
these vacancies during the special
session OF Congress which he is to cali,
and that he has gone on record rs in
favor of continuing Republicans IN
office who have done good work IL Is
seen that the Democratic position is
likely to bc attacked from within by
the President himself There viii then
be nothing whatever Tor the Democrats
to do, except to incontincntiy Yc6reat
from their position, for there viii be
no possible gain in occupying the cou-
Trajectory positions that they now
seem to favor. II would be an i'm
mense disappointment 70 the Demo.
Gratis if. after Governor Wilson gets
into office, be should show a distinct
disapproval Of their position by rcfUs
ing to take advantage of the oppor
tunities which they thus unfairly
create,
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