Sorry, I tried to define the term “career politician” - perhaps I failed...
Adams, Hamilton, Jefferson, and the rest of our representatives in that era did not work for the government as a career.
They may have held office for years and years, but they made their livings as farmers, lawyers, merchants, brewers, publishers, etc. etc.
Our diplomats had to live on their government salaries because they were abroad, but other than those few, our politicians did not live with the intention of making a career in government.
In fact, they often expressed the wish that they could escape the role, because government service cost so much, and you couldn’t give your full effort to your real business.
The modern concept of starting out working for the government as a young clerk or intern, then staying in government as bureaucrat or officeholder for life, without having a “real” career as a lawyer, shopkeeper, or farmer to pay the bills, really is a relatively recent change.
You could probably count the number of people who made government their sole career in those days on one or two hands, at most.
JFD
This far removed in history, I'm willing to say that maybe Burr did us a favor.
Of course, any neturalized politician/lawyer is a positive gain for humanity in my viewpoint. Burr/Hamilton affair took out two. ;)
/johnny
Patronage is not exactly a new concept. There have been jobseekers and jobholders in government probably as long as there has been government. The idea that it is a new phenomenon is laughable nonsense. And as far as I’m concerned, if someone spends there entire adult life in politics, they are a career politician, even if they’ve got a plantation back home somewhere, or a law office they rarely visit.