Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 October 1885 — Mr. Lincoln Was an Offensive Partisan. [ARTICLE]

Mr. Lincoln Was an Offensive Partisan.

Before President Lincoln had been in office six weeks the victors had all the spoils worth taking. Not a Democratic postmaster with a salary of more than S4OO was anywhere to be found, and from that day until the 4th of March last Democrats have not been permitted to hold an appointive Federal office. There seemed nothing extraordinary or out of course in the prediction that in event of Democratic success there would be what was called a clean sweep. The new administration has been in operation six months, and there has been no clean sweep—there has been no clean sweep at all. In the 2,323 Presidential postoffices there have been but 487 changes, and a large percentage of these were appointments made to fill vacancies created by death, resignation, or expiration of term. There are 48,421 postoffices of the fourth class; that is, offices in which the postmasters are appointed without the advice and consent of the Senate upon the nomination of the President, but by the Postoffice Department. In these there have been but 6,400 changes, many of these appointments being made to fill vacancies arising from ordinary causes. —Chicago Herald.