Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-10-11

better judgment and freely expressed opin-
ions ; it cannot sustain the plea of igno-
rance it knows the right, and yet the
wrong pursues. Scarce three months
have passed since it gave utterance to the
OllOwing whitening rebuke to President
Grant and the Administration
'In the first place, the people are not
disposed much longer to be tickled with
the promise without the performance of
civil service reform. SO far nothing has
been done to enforce the plan which the
Presidents friends have so industriOusly
proclaimed to be his policy. For example,
Packard and Casey are still retained in the
most lucrative and responsible offices in
the Southern States, notwithstanding they
! have been proved guilty of outrageous
official misconduct; Senator Spencer is
allowed to assess the office-holdeIs of Ala
bama in order to support his faction and
his newspapers, and to dictate the terms
| upon which men can hold office there !;
Senator Clayton, who has been proved by
the House of Representatives to have given
fraudulent certificate OF election to a
Congressman, and to have perverted the
State government Of Arkansas for the
benefit of ring, is still allowed to control
the patronage of his State; Cam eron,
whose corrupt rule in Pennsylvania has
aroused the Indignation Of me- jolity of
the people, is one of the most intimat
counsellors Of the party; COnkling and
Murphy, who have made Republcanism in
this State almost Synonymous with corrup-
| ton, are yet reputed to be the confidential
agents of the administration; Mr.. William
I. Clarke, who was turned out Of Congress
because lie claimed his seat on fraudulent
election, has just been appointed to the
most lucrative Office in Texas; and this
list might be continued almost without
limit. These things are not indications of
civil service reform, and they cannot be
excused or concealed so that the voters
! may be deceived into supporting the party
which seems to approve them. Another
evil in prospect is not sufficient to drive the
| voters to the support of evils which they
have already felt too keenly.
What the administration party ought to
do at once is to denounce and renOunce
! these men and these rings, and resolve TO
enforce its promises of reform. Ii ought
to demand the dismissal of such men as
Packard and Casey, the rejection of such
! advisers as Clayton, COnkling, Murphy,
Harlan ard Cameron, and the nomination
/ of better men than the Cameron clan have
! set up for State officers in Pennsylvania .
| Packard and Casey have not been dis
! missed Clayton, Conkling, Murphy, Har-
| Ian and Cameron are still trusted advisers
of Grant Iartranft and the men whom
the Cameron clan have set up for State
| officers, are still the administration candi-
dates in Pennsylvania. And yet the New
York EcC.inJ Post publicly sustains and
supports them, and tells its readers that
these men should be continued in office
and power. Strange, indeed, it is that
such things should be And stranger still
this same New York Ecclting Post makes
greater pretensions, and deservcdly too, tC
honesty and rcspectabiIity than any Radi
cal paper in the United States Alas fol
the honor and the honesty of our country