Washington District of Columbia

Washinghton Navy Yard
Letter of May 1845 concerning Politics
Furnished by : John G. Sharp

Washington Navy Yard Workers Letter to the Secretary of the Navy, dated 9 May 1845, signed by 87 employees, expressing their concern about possible political removals.
Introduction: This 1845 letter signed by 87 workers at the Washington Navy Yard reflects how political patronage had become a fixture in the national political life and at Washington Navy Yard. At most government installations political patronage existed at all levels and was often the key to finding and keeping a job this had been so at least since the administration of Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) and continued up until the passage of the 1883 Pendleton Act which created our modern civil service. Originally political patronage was viewed as a positive method of filling positions with loyal supporters, overtime however public opinion came to view patronage as a detriment to public service. For historians the two documents below provide a glimpse of how the system operated and why it caused concern. The signatures will provide genealogists and those interested in family history with another means of tracing individuals over time. The patronage system also known as the spoils system ("to the victor the spoils") patronage was the policy of placing political supporters into appointed offices. Political parties held the view that patronage was not only their right, but also the duty of winners in political contests. Patronage was theorized to be good because it would encourage political participation by the common man and because it would make a politician more accountable for poor government service by his appointees. Those who advocated patronage also held that long tenure in the civil service was corrupting, so civil servants should be rotated out of office at regular intervals. Some politicians and ward bosses were more explicit "This civil service law is the biggest fraud of the age. It is the curse of the nation. There can't be no real patriotism while it lasts. How are you goin' to interest our young men in their country if you have no offices to give them when they work for their party?" attributed to George Washington Plunkett 1842-1924 New York City, Tammany Hall politician and ward boss. Elections in a pre merit era often brought a period of tremendous uncertainty and anxiety as political operatives jockeyed for positions in the new administration and workers anticipate or dreaded changes. Petitions were one means for workers to respond to perceived partisan political decisions. The following WNY Petition is from 1845. The Petition was written as the result of the very close 1844 election where the Democratic Party led by James K. Polk defeated the Whigs led by Henry Clay. This election was a squeaker, decided by only few thousand votes and President Polk's supporters were eagerly looking forward to placing their parties faithful into positions at the Navy Yard. Below is a transcription of the worker petition and the WNY Commandant's response below demonstrate how patronage questions and issues could affect large numbers of worker.
	The United States presidential election of 1844 saw Democrat James Knox Polk defeat Whig Henry Clay in a close contest that turned on foreign policy, with Polk favoring the annexation of Texas and Clay opposed. This election poster was used by the Whigs to proclaim their opposition to the expansion of slavery The 87 WNY employees who signed the petition to the Secretary of the Navy were supporters of James Polk while many others including some of the Yard Master Mechancis were supporters of Henry Clay and the Whig Party. The 1848 war with Mexico increased employment levels at the Navy Yard and made James Polk popular with the electorate.
Transcription The transcriptions of the two letters below retain the spelling, punctuation, use of ampersands and strikeovers found in the original documents at the National Archives and Records Administration. The workers signed their letter on two pages some of the signatures were damaged by one hundred and fifty years of folding and sunlight I have attempted to transcribe their signatures faithfully however some were simply not legible and I have noted so in brackets. John G. Sharp              July 23, 2008

U. S. Navy Yard Washington May 9th 1845, To the Hon- The } Secretary of the Navy} Sir We the undersigned democrats of this yard, learning that there are or will be efforts made and means employed by a portion of the democrats of this city to have the Master Workman removed without our wish, we would most respectfully state that it is our earnest wish that there will be no alterations made in the Heads of the departments of this Yard, knowing them as we do to be men of principle and not governed by selfish or personal motives, and that they are faithful in the discharge of their dutys without prejudice or partiality, and that they are well qualified to fill the places they now occupy and that we would most respectfully beg leave to request that we are democrats and most interested, would request that our petition will be favorably received. is the prayer of your most humble servants We are very Respectfully Your most Obedient Servants Thomas Altmus A. Woodward Henry C Greenfield Wm J Barneston Adam Gaddis George Hutton [image illegible] John Carter Frances Jenkins Samuel Nelson John Simmons James Burgess William Wilkinson Willaiam F. Ivey Thos W. Jones [page 1]
William Morgan John Moss James Brown James Gordon David Foster That Jenkins Richard Gertner Richard Browne Thos Hutchinson Thomas Goss Thos Botter Edward Wayson William Brown Charles Rodgers Henry Getzendanner John Bohlayn Isaac Robbins John Howe Thomas B. Cross Francis Smith Edmund B. Duvall William Hardy Michael Robl Richard Cook Jacob Tillius Benjamin Booth Walter Hardy James Willmerule William Murphy Adam Crawford Wm Gardner Washington Cross		Daniel Quiqley Henry George Geo P Davis William Quigley B. W. Kenney Thos W. Clennon Henry Martin Jos Ergood John H. Wilkinson John Bright John Jolly Washington Duvall Horatio Aukward Hezikiah Anderson S. Kerich George Bellison Thomas Roby Henry Ga Robt Craston Samuel Keithley Smith Key Enos Bentley Thoms Crowther Michael Conner John Cannon Joshua Gibson Samuel Bateson Joseph Batley W.E. Cook William Connor Alison Kidwell		James R. McCathran Henry Berry Thorton Acton Total Number 87
[page 2]

Washington Navy Yard, Commandant, Commodore John H. Aulick's letter to the Secretary of the Navy provides some indication as to Yard management perceived the workers petition.

Commandants Office Navy Yard Washington May 1845 Sir In returning the papers you put into my hands for examination, I beg to state that the Master Mechanics have been well known to me for some years past - I believe them to be specially honest & just men - I know them to well qualified for their respective stations + faithful in the discharge of their duties. The accusation that they have discharged men or reduced their wages or account of their political opinions is without the slightest foundation or fact. No man is in or discharged or his wages increased or reduced, but by my order and I say with perfect truth, that I have never know, nor wished to know the politics of any man in the yard. The men who made these complaints, were dismissed simply because the work in which they were employed was either completed or suspended. The recommendation testimonials of Plunkett, for Master Blacksmith and Burneston for Master Plumber afford no evidence of their fitness for their stations. The first named may be a good common smith - but he is believed to know nothing about making Anchor + Cables, articles of the first importance to the navy, and the manufacture of which is the principle work of the Smith Shops of this yard. Burneston has worked in the Amory and Machine Shops as journeyman - but no one supposes him to be at all, or in any way qualified for the important station of Master Plumber, who has the superintendence and direction of five shops , and some ten or fifteen kinds of work to discharge these duties effectively to requires skill, experience and some mathematical knowledge. This same Wm. Burneston it will be seen is one of the signers of a petition herewith enclosed, against the removal of the Master Workmen, to which I respectfully ask your attention. I enclose also statements from Messieurs Ellis, Davis and Tucker in reply to the charges made against them by Howe, McClellan, German and Plunkett. I have the honor to be your most obedient servant. John H. Aulick Addressed to the Honorable Secretary of the Navy George Bancroff [Note: Spelling and usage is that of the originals]

© 2008 Genealogy Trails     by Wayne Hinton