New-York tribune., 1871-12-29
CICIL SERJICE REFORN MLUMiNED by
4 SEREN1DE


To let the dead rest, s a rule that we would
prefer always to respect. But suppose unwise
monrncrs insist on digging up and paradlng
their dccaying remains, are we responsible Tor
the odor of putrefactiOn thence disseminated
Suppose their uneasy ghosts. wholly without
excuse, come rapping, drumming, pounding on
public ncr-tablcs, what thcnf Must we en-
durc the annoying din indefinitely without
protest. May we not justitiably seek to de-
ducc thcrcfiom whatever significance we fairly
may
Mr.. Thomas Murphy being no longer Col
lcctor his friends surround his doorstep and,
through various wind Instruments Mayor Op-
dykes voice included, attest their unqualified
| admiration of his official career. These friends
are also the admirers and champions of what
il understood and commended at the white
House as Civil Service Reform.
Now it is "A tact so notorious that even
Thomas Murphy will not deny it that he
welded the great power and patronage OF the
Colectorship from first to last, with Il single
eye to political cnds-nOt so much the triumph
of one of our great political parties over the
other as of one faction or wing OF the Re-
publican party over its rival. TO this end and
no other did he remove and appoint hundreds
of ubOrdinates-many of the appointments
being payment in hand for change OF votes
from "Fcnton' to "Conklng' in Republican
State Conventions Thus was majority i'll
the State Convention of 1870 bought over to
the "Conkling" side; thus was a majority Sc
cured in the Convention OF 1871. Thus were
the "Fenton" men in the Revenue service
steadily stricken down, until one half
of them had been elected from office
and the other half tcrrorizcd into
conversion to Conklnslsn. When MIR. Muir
ply was made Collector, about half his sub0r
dinatcs were of the "Fcnon' persuasion :;
when he resigned. if there were IL single Fen
ton" head within his reach. We do not know
whose it was. Those who had not prOfcsscd
conversion had been rtlcntlessly struck down ;
even Gov. Fcnt0n's once IIarhor- Master, Jimmy
Thompson, now shouting. vocfcrously and in
ccssantly for Conkling at the exOrbitant rate
of two cents per yell. Mr. Murphy had done
his utmost to defeat Gov. FentOn's reelection
in 1866, running his bogus Republican General
Committee in support of Hoffman g. Co. Beaten
then, he accepted the CollectOrshiD with man
| ifest intent to feed fat his ancient grudge on
find in the Revenue service; and that he has
done to his hearts content. He has carried
| two successive State Conventions for Gov.
! Fcntons enemies by the most unsparIng use
| of his immense patronage to tins express end
| Every intelligent politician i'll the State knows
that, hut for this vast power. so used, the re-
| suits of those Conventions would have been
different.
How much have these two triumpls of
Murphy and COnkling cost the Treasury of the
United States
Every section and nearly every township of
our State were secured, for weeks before our
last State Convention, by Deputy Collectors,
Weghers, Inspectors, &c, drumming up dele
gates in the COnkling Murphy interest at the
expense of the whole people. Their work as
officers was done by others, or left undOnc,
while they were paid for doing though they
utterly neglected it. Not less than 100000
was thus taken out of the Treasury to pay for
services rendered, not to tie Government or
People, not even to the Republican party, but
to the Conkling Murphy faction. And none
of those who thus persistently neglected their
official duties were rebukcd for it by their
superiOrs. On the contrary, those were re-
moved from office who declined to contribute
money or service to the Conkling- Murphy
triumph 80 achieved.
And now Mr.. Opdyke-well knowing thcse
facts--certifes that MIR. Murphy was an excel
lent Collector, with whom no reasonable fault
can be found and Mr.. Isaac H. Bailey says
ditto to Mr.. Opdyke. And all these gentle
men, Murphy included, are jealous champions
of the Presidents Civil Service Reform. And
Mr.. George William Curtis claps his hands
applaudingly and says, How the good work
"of Civil Service Reform moves on 1t is
already as good as accomplished"
THE TRIBUNE does MT see it.
LILLE ULTY OE TILE PRESS