ces the patronage
as an agency of corrupt influence between the Executive and the
Legislature. It serves to obscure the criminal character of bribery
by treating bribery with offices as a legitimate practice. It thus
reconciles the popular mind to practices essentially corrupt, and
thereby debauches the popular sense of right and wrong in politics.

It keeps in high political places, to the exclusion of better men,
persons whose only ability consists in holding a personal following
by adroit manipulation of the patronage. It has thus sadly lowered the
standard of statesmanship in public position, compared with the high
order of ability displayed in all other walks of life.

It does more than anything else to turn our large municipalities into
sinks of corruption, to render Tammany Halls possible, and to make of
the police force here and there a protector of crime and a terror to
those whose safety it is to guard. It exposes us, by the scandalous
spectacle of its periodical spoils carnivals, to the ridicule and
contempt of civilized mankind, promoting among our own people the growth
of serious doubts as to the practicability of democratic institutions on
a great scale; and in an endless variety of ways it introduces into
our political life more elements of demoralization, debasement, and
decadence than any other agency of evil I know of, aye, perhaps more
than all other agencies of evil combined.

These are some of the injuries the spoils system has been, and still
is, inflicting upon this Republic--some, I say; not all, for it is
impossible to follow its subtle virus into all the channels through
which it exercises its poisonous influence. But I have said enough to
illustrate its pernicious effects; and what I have said is only the
teaching of sober observation and long experience.

And now, if such are the evils of the spoils system, what are, by way of
compensation, the virtues it possesses, and the benefits it confers?
Let its defenders speak. They do not pretend that it gives us a very
efficient public service; but they tell us that it is essentially
American; that it is necessary in order to keep alive among our people
an active interest in public affairs; that frequent rotation in office
serves to give the people an intelligent insight in the nature and
workings of their Government; that without it parties cannot be held
together, and party government is impossible; and that all the officers
and employees of t