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Show PATRONAGE FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES. If any optimist was laying the flattering unction to his soul that government by political spoils was dead in this country, he must have been rudely shocked by the word given out by the President that the insurgents are to receive their full share of the offices. This announcement has now been followed by the appointment of a number of postmasters who had been recommended by insurgent insur-gent senators and members. This is one of the most open uses of patronage for political purposes that has been made in many years. Of course the system of bargain and sale of offices in exchange for political support and work has gone right on all this time, but it has been conducted out of the public sight. It could never have been President Taft who thought of this scheme for enticing the progressives back into the standpat camp ; it was obviously some of the smart political coaches that are hanging round him. On high grounds it was a mistake; or rather the mistake mis-take was in originally trying to punish insurgency by withholding the plum of office. |
