Patronage Quotes
He was summarizing a political principle that he observed Richard M. Nixon follow both in domestic politics and internationally.
This quotation illustrates another political advancement instituted by Queen Victoria. In this case it was Merit Appointments which were almost unheard of. The Foreign Secretary, Lord Palmerston, was notorious for his crony appointments and the use of appointments to gain political support for himself. (He was good at it and became prime minister 4 years later.0 However, under the Queen’s constant insistence and pressure, merit began to be the major factor in selection and appointments. Ironically, even in the United States, diplomats though often very qualified, are one of the last vestiges of patronage appointments with many ambassadorships going to campaign contributors.
He was joking. No government position was ever offered to him.
Upon learning that his son, John Quincy Adams, had been chosen President of the United States, the former President remarked:
The George W. Bush administration was a throwback to an earlier era where such a spoils system was operational. Reforms had almost eliminated this type of contractor political favoritism but a culture of political corruption had developed in Congress and the Executive branch in the early 21st century that was more reminiscent of a more than a hundred years earlier. See {589738} for one of the examples that triggered the editorial.
The American army which had occupied the Philippines before Taft was appointed Governor General was extremely racist and discriminatory towards the Philippine people. Taft and his wife invited Filipinos to the Governor’s mansion and socialized with them whereas the Army officers and men never did. See {639174}.
Gallatin was complaining about requirements of Congress, with which he and Madison disagreed but were not powerful enough to stop.
