Year: 1876

The Chicago Times takes exception to the


position of TIE TRIBUNE that the party out


of power has the advantage Of the party in


power, in political campaign, and says:


It has been supposed that the incumbents Of the


Offices are more or less affected by anxiety about


the result OF elections involving their official ten


ure, and that when the political contest bids fair


to be close, they will make some pccuniary sacri-
fees for the sake Of their party and their share OF
the spoils. 1t has also been supposed that the
officeholders generally have friends who are more
or less Influenced in their political action by per-


sonal considerations. It each of the 20, 600 place.


holders under the National Government has half
dozen personal friends who would be sorry to see
him turned ont Of Office, there is a solid army of
nearly half million for the support Of the party
III power, and this number exceeds the majority
generally cast for President on the popular vote,


The view which the Times takes is only cor
rect as applied to Democrats in Office. The
argument of The TRIBUNE was applicable
only to Republicans in Office. It is we'll
known fact that a Democrat in office will
mortgage his property, chattel-mortgage his
body, and forfeit his soul, to keep in, and
that MI his re1atives will gather round him
and try to keep him in but this is not true
Of Republicans. The half-dozen relatives of
the Republican in Office are not going to
waste their substance in his behalf On
general principles the Times knows very
well, if it knows anything, that, where there
is one man who expects Office of the party
in power, there ara ten men who ex-
pect it Of the party out Of power
when it gets in. The hungry and long
famished wolf outside the fold will
make greater effort to get into it than the
full dog inside Will make to keep him out
The hungry animal is keen, active, and do
termined; the full one is slow and supine
The Times furthermore makes no account of
the envies, jealousies, and heartburnings of
those outside towards those inside, in the same
party. There are scores Of men probably in
this city who feel that they ought to be
Postmasters who would do nothing to re-
tain the present one in his position There
are scores who think that they ought to have
places in the Custom-House and Revenue
who will spend no money or
make no effort to retain the present Col
ectors in their places. It makes no





ng upon vague expectations and direct |
promises, in which the Democrats are
1otoriously profuse, and Of the fact that, if !
hey refuse to be bled, they forfeit all claim
o Office, direct or indirect. The 10000 !
olace-ho1ders of whom the Times speaks |
indeed hold the fort; but what Of the 700, 600 |
;torming the fort with empty stomachs, heat
ID imaginntions, vivid fancies, and the des-
'eration that always grows out of starvation,
'ach one overrating the value, perquisites,
md capncity Of the Office for which he has
ought, bled, and died? There is no force
;nown in the whole world Of Science or
Nature like that of q Democrat nfter an Office
The only parallel for his desperation is that
# starving dog gnawing at bone he has
onnd in the gutter