The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-05-29
BY JAAES NO,.GAY

MAotiCoo VI tHt WHITE 0huse,
into scramble for Offices and "a,
distribution of patronage had b..
come the principal; business m
presidents, senators and represent.
atives.
The parceling out of jobs weigh.
ed as heavily on his successors AZ
it weighed on Lincoln, when his
troubled look ore day led an am.
ious person to ask him if some
disaster had hefallen our army.
NO. the president explained
"it is not the war that is botheriug
me; it is the appointment Of
postmaster for Browntown, Ind"
The race for preferment eY.
cited an unnatural appetite for
public Office, and the getting Of a
job was regarded as exhilarating
sport. From policeman, fireman
and letter carrier to chiefship and
consulship, every place on the pay.
roll of the city, state or nation
went by favor. Two endless pro-
cessions were forever moving, one
made up of thsoe who had been
turned out or turned down and the
other of those who were struggling
to get in.
Senators and representatives in
Washington regularly made the
morning rounds OF the partr ,nts
in quest OF places for hungry
crowd of hangers-on who dogged
their footsteps night and day.
member no sooner lost his seat in
senate or house than his successor
pushed out his predecessor favor
ties and pushed in his own.
"My influence is dead" a poor
scrubwoman in the Treasury walled
to Senator Hear, when her hacker
in congress died. leaving her face
to face with the prospect o being
replaced by some one with live
influence" The system bred
spoilsmongers instead of states
men, and these delighted in quar-
tering their strikers and workers
on the government, who remained
at the beck and call Of the senators
and representative in every fight
at home and were required to pay
two per cent of their annual sal
aries to the campaign fund Of the
party in power.
i The civil service law. which was
passed in Arthurs administration
tuok out of politics the department.
al clerkships in Washington, but
IS per cent of the federal employees
as whole were 60 under the
spoils system. Nevertheless, the
difficult first step had been taken
toward the present comprehensive
system, when all but few hun
bred of the hundreds of thousands
of places are. open equally to sell
respecting applicants, regardless
of parties or politics.
Arthur also was the useful IN
strument of carrying forward the
reconciliation of the sections
He was the first president in DIS
generation who made no REL
ence in his annual message TO inc
south or to southern question:
HE was indeed almost the hrs'
president in so years who felt lfes
to ignore the unhappy issues u
sectionalism.
l When he stepped into ne "hi@
house Arthur found his party rem
ded by faction. He left II more
nearly united than it had been pe.
fore in 20 years and with at leas, :, :
jchance to win again in 1884. ne
might himself hay been the ne !,
publican nominee in that year n
he had not scrupulolsly refused "
take an active part in proaio.ine
his candidacy for the noinina''vu.
| He looked as we'll as acted INC
president. The first city man " .
| line of rural or small town inea'
Arthur was the best dressed haA
to sit in the chair since "asnlus
ton. and perhaps the handsonie g.
with a tall. graceful figure |.
, manners of the great w.fld anu >
grave but easy courtesy -,
Although widower pre5iosn..'
| his sister, Mrs. NlcElroy. was '.s,,.
charming distress OF the "a .;sl
house and under them tee so. ass
life of the mansion took on mo- "a
sumptuous tone. His son s as
namesake was away at school M. ".
of the time. but his little Ga 0sss.
| ter. Nellie Arthur. lit up the h01''
hold with song and laughter: :.
No other president has done 80. -
little as Arthur did to Obtain a ,e
/ ond term. 1t was we'll, not ou ~
for the sale of the high exaalpi s,.o
set. but for his own sake 10 7,
Arthur's health Was not equsa a., a.
the strain of another admih''s,h n,
ton and another term ~ M,
! White house, where he li'eo nam an
wisely but too well. In less u III.
two wears after leaving the Pr \, i
dency. followed by the gooa WV III.
all the people, he ' S dead "