Year: 1876

be Is hlled with wonder and lndlgna-
ton that man who holds a subordin-
ate office of trust and emolument under
. Republican Administration, can have
the temerity to declare himself free
American citizen, independent of
party subservieney; and exclaims with
staring eyes and uplifted hands: IF
he can show us political precedent for
such an untenable position, he will oblige
u.s." F,om the manifest sincerity
of this ejaculatory request, it is evident
that he belongs to that brood of politi-
clans who regard the management of
government as an exclusively party


matter; a system of personal rewards


aud punishments, upon strictly party


basis; that the offices, clerkships, and


subordinate positions of the Govern


ment are simply for the reward of party


services, to be dispensed by tie vic'o-
rious party as "spoils of victory fidel-


ity to party being the paramount claim


TO position. He is not alone IL these


views, but belongs to that large class CT


politicians including every country


newspaper party organ-who knew no


other issue and never discuss any pub
lie measure but in its relations to party


success and division of the spoils.
Not one IN a hund. ed of these active
politicians and public teachers can in
teligently explain, or even attempt to
explain any distinctive principle now at
issue between the two great political
parties of the country, both of which
profess the same general PRINCIPLES and
to be actuated by ths same patriotic
motives. This is the class of politicians
who have caused all the corruption and
public scandal which now overshadow
the fair fame of our country, and most
vigorously oppose the civil service re-
form, for which the honest statesmen of
both parties are now laboring to re-
move the civil service from the control
and dictation Of party caucus. The
reason for this opposition is obvious;
qualifications instead of party service
would be the test, and the vocation of
the mere party hacks and time-ssrvers
would be ended.


The idea that the Clerk of Court is
any more of party Office than that Of
Cashier in Bank or Book-keeper in a
commercial house, is not only degrad-
ing to the public service, but an insult
to the Judiciary. 1t was this idea that
made the Judiciary of the city of New
York. under the government of the
Tammany Ring" the most disgusting
feature of the Tweed scandal. Chief
Justice Lewis, we can say, enter
tains no such degraded Idea of his pub
lie functions. lie suggested no such
conditions to US, nor demanded any
thing more than faithful discharge of
the duties of the Office which he con-
ferred upon US, without any surrender Of
private rights or opinions. When our
political views clash in such measure as
to interrupt our confidential relations,
then it will be our duty to tender our
resignation; but it does not follow that
while We hold the position we must
surrender all personal rights to the die
tation of party. We would accept no
position of public trust on any such
humiiiating conditions. The "politi-
cal precedent Of which our selfcon-
stituted censor has never heard, extends
all through the Government, and es>
pecially through the Judiciary. The
Supreme Court of the United States
never changed its Clerk on party
grounds. We have known many cases
where the Court has appointed an ac
tive political partisan of the opposition.
Clerk, solely on the ground Of fitness
for the position; and among the thou
sands of Clerks in the Department at
Washington, there are at least hundreds
who have held their positions Of trust
Under various Administrations, without
ever having been called upon to surren-
der any of their rights as American cit
izens


We acknowledge the right of the Ad-
to be served by its friends;
while we assert the paramount right of
the public to be well served. That is.
in all matters of political character,
the officer should be III sympathy with
the policy of the administration which
he represents. In matters merely cieri-
cal. involving no political responsibility,
the only consideration should be. quail
fcations for the service demanded. That
is the only rule by which the public can
be well served, and official corruption,
growing out of the system of party
spoils. avoided.


But we are asked to define the prin>
ciples upon which we dissolved our con
nection with the Democratic party. Our
space will only permit US to more brief
~ allude to these differences. We be-
lieved with General jackson: The
Union, it must and shall be preserved"
In 1860. very large slice of the Demo
cratic party set up the doctrine that the
States had a right to secede from the
union at will. We were left then with
the section that supported Douglas up
on the Jackson doctrine.


We believed that the national govern
nent was established solely for national
purposes, with its power clearly defined
and Notwithstanding the right of self
AI,c% o11 ,,Drorc ,,ot