428. THE SPOILS SYSTEM.—During the first forty years of our national life it was taken for granted that subordinate executive officials should continue in office during good behavior, regardless of a change of administration. After President Jackson's first term, however, it became the general practice for the incoming party to use offices to reward party supporters. Senator Marcy's original declaration that "to the victor belongs the spoils," was accepted by both Democratic and Republican parties. Each party, upon coming into power, habitually turned out appointive officials placed in office by the opposition party. The positions thus made vacant were filled by individuals from the ranks of the victorious party.
The spoils system is a serious evil for which party spirit must be held accountable. By virtue of their patronage, party leaders have exercised an undue influence over the rank and file of the party. Frequently a candidate has been named for office, not because he possessed marked capacity for public service, but because he showed promise of being a good vote-getter at election time. Very frequently, therefore, officeholders have secured their positions as the reward of party support, rather than because of merit. The spoils system has encouraged the holders of executive offices to pay more attention to the political fortunes of their party than to their public duties. Knowing that with a change of administration they would probably be ousted to make room for the supporters of the rival party, officials have been tempted to use public office for personal ends.
The spoils system still constitutes a defect in American government. Nevertheless something has been done toward eliminating its worst features. The Civil Service Act of 1883 provided that more than 12,000 Federal executive offices should be filled by competitive examinations rather than by political appointment. The Federal Civil Service System has been subsequently extended until at the present time about two thirds of the administrative offices in the Federal government are filled on the merit plan. In many sections of the country the merit plan has also been used to fill state and municipal offices. Though as yet limited in scope, it would appear that the future will see a steady expansion of the merit plan in local and state as well as in the National government.
The essential feature of this system, whether in local, state or National government, is that officeholders secure their positions on the basis of individual merit. In theory at least, they are little affected by changes of administration. Both retention of office and promotion are on the basis of merit, though the standards by which appointees are judged have not yet been perfected.
429. EXTENSION OF FAVORS TO SPECIAL INTERESTS.—The tendency of the political party to extend special favors to private corporations has constituted a serious evil in American politics. In some instances powerful corporations have corrupted party politics; in other cases party organizations have blackmailed corporations under the threat of unfriendly legislation; in many other cases both party and corporations have been to blame. In every case, however, the essential fact is that often the party has been used for the advancement of special interests rather than to promote the general welfare. Unfavorable legislation has been bought off and favorable laws secured by trusts, public service corporations, and other large industrial interests. Exemption from prosecution has been purchased by gambling houses and other illegal businesses. Public service corporations have secured valuable franchises for inadequate consideration. Contracts for paving and other public works have many times been awarded, not to firms offering the best work at the lowest price, but to incompetent or dishonest corporations. Such contracts have been secured by these corporations because of favoritism shown them by political henchmen holding office under the spoils system.
Notable headway has been made in checking these evils. The regulation of the railroads by the Interstate Commerce Commission renders it difficult for railroad corporations unduly to influence party policies. Anti-trust legislation has similarly checked the political activities of other great industrial combinations. There is a growing tendency for states to pass laws forbidding or restricting the maintenance of lobbies in legislative halls. Many recent state constitutions narrowly restrict the franchise-granting power. Corrupt practices acts forbid party contributions from corporations. The Civil Service System renders less easy the unfair award of government contracts to private corporations.
430. DECLINE OF PARTY ABUSES.—It is clear that the development of party government in this country has been attended by important benefits and serious evils. But the best authorities agree that the merits of the party system outweigh its defects. Hence our problem is not how to destroy the system, but how to regulate it so that we may secure the benefit of its services and avoid the evil results of its defects. The experience of the last half century is heartening, and it must be admitted, not only that party abuses have declined, but that there is good reason to believe that they will continue to decline. In our attitude toward the political party we must distinguish, as Burke distinguished, between the legitimate form of the party and its perverted form. The perverted forms of party organization call for censure and attack; the legitimate features of the party deserve our appreciation and support.
431. DUTY OF PARTY SUPPORT.—Parties seem to be inevitable, for no one has yet shown how representative government can be carried on without them. Since the average voter cannot make his influence felt except through organization and mass action, it is, as a rule, as futile for the individual to cast his vote regardless of party affiliations as it is for a soldier to fight without regard for army discipline and organization. Parties are the result of compromises, and the individual must be willing to shelve minor issues for the sake of uniting with his fellows upon vital issues. Ordinarily, the individual will best perform his civic duties by affiliating himself with some political party.
But we are coming to believe that the necessity of party support in National and state elections does not imply that party support is necessary in local elections. In National politics each party generally has a definite policy with regard to taxation, the tariff, armaments, and other debatable issues. Support of the party for the realization of its program on these matters may be justifiable; on the other hand, loyalty to party in local politics may be an evil. There is no Democratic way of cleaning a street, and no Republican method of fighting a fire. Thus the same citizen who may be under a moral obligation to support some party in National and state politics, may be under a similar obligation to make his choice of local candidates independent of party. A desirable development, in this regard, is the recent tendency for some municipal elections to be decided regardless of the party affiliations of the candidates.
432. INTEGRITY IS ABOVE PARTY.—Young people are commonly advised to affiliate themselves with that political party which seems most adequately to express their political ideals. But though this is a method of conserving political energy, no citizen ought to support a party which has ceased to represent him on matters which he considers of vital importance. When the party machine sets itself up as an end rather than a means, and when it emphasizes gain to a few rather than benefits to the party as a whole, then it is time for honest men to abandon their party. Integrity is above party. The slogan, "My party right or wrong" is not only stupid but treasonable. Let the citizen be eager to co÷perate with his fellows for the advancement of common political views, but let the corrupt party be abandoned.