New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-06-27
CEN GRANT As A REFORMER.

II is not a difficult thing for Mr.. Murphy or
Mr.. Carpenter or Mr.. COnlding to support Gen.
Grant. In the eyes of Mr.. Chandler and MI.
Nye. he quite fills the requirements of his po-
sition. He was a good soldier He is a square,
straightforward fighting friend in politics.
He knows nothing and cares nothing of the
general scope and movement of politics lie
takes not the slightest interest in the affairs
of States where there is no squabbling. But
wherever there is a local quarrel, a division
between factions growing out of a division of
plumber all his combatve instincts are at once
aroused. He thoroughly informs himself of the
subject of dispute. He wastes no time in the
endeavOr to see which side is in the right.
He only inquiries far enough to determine
which side is the more manageable, which can
best be used to subserve his own interests,
and throws all the power of the Admlnstra-
ton in favor of that side. He makes no effort
| to conciliate but uses all means to crush the
| other faction. lie either seems to care moth
| ing for the interests of the party in general,
| or in his eagerness to advance the interests of
| his favorites he forgets the injury he is doing
to the great national organization to which
| they belong. These are the qualities which,
while they have endangered the very life OF
the Republican party, have given the Presi-
dent strong and perfectly disciplined body
| guard of partisans in the Senate and the
| House, composed of the most violent and
INSCRIPTIONS politicians in either body.
| They do not care how he stands in
reference to questions of reform. They
know they can depend upon his readiness to
override any question of principle at their re-
| ,1,,I, In, vho,, ho
tries to fatter the fashion of the day by pre-
tending to favor some specific reform measure.
They do not object to his hunting votes in
this way, for they know that when his inter
ests or theirs seem to require it, he will tram
pie these professions under foot, and use his
power as usual, in the old-fashioned corrupt
and arbitrary way.
But it must be rather q trial for some of
those well-meaning gentlemen who really de-
sire reform to see how he fobs them off with
| words, and reserves all his deeds for the
traders. The amiable and accomplished Presi-
dent of the Civil Service Commission is
worthy of special commiseratiOn. Gen.
| Grant has gained his loyal and blind support
by no greater exeTtiOn than that of writing q
few phrases recommending Reform in the
Civil Service, and then appointing this amiable
gentleman to be chief of the Commission
which was to draw up the formula of reform
This Commission has labored earnestly and
conscien6ously to find some means of putting
into practice the desire felt by all honest and
intelligent men for better administration of
the public Offices and the President, with his
tongue in his cheek, has surveyed their de-
alterations, wondered to see how easy it was
to gull literary men, and whenever he wanted
to fill a vacancy or change an officer, has done
it, without the slightest regard for public
opinion or the rules of the reform he has
pretended to patronize
To please the New-YOrk Custom house Ring,
he removed from Office Deputy Collector Nc
Lellan of Troy. When the decapitated officer
protested, In the name of q reformed Civil
Service, he was simply told that the President
had suspended the rules for this occasion.
Mr.. Palfrey, Collector of the Port at Salem.
was suddenly turned out of the Office he had
filled with perfect acceptability because Gen.
Butler desired 1t. Mr.. Casey, whose out
rageous performances at New-0rleans had
rendered him too notorious to be profitable.
was about to be removed when it occurred
to the President that his dishonesty and lacl,
OF self-respect might be made service
able in the coming elections. And the
latest and most shameless instance of the
contempt with which the President regards
the Civil Service, is the removal of the Post
master at Galveston to make room for n tried
and convicted rascal named Clarke, who has
just been turned out of the House of Renre-
sentatives for fraud.
Yet such is the slavish respect which some
men pay to mere words, that some of the sin
cere friends of Civil Service Reform, even the
accomplished President of the Commission
willfully shut their eyes TO these acts of Gen,
Grant, insisting upon it that he must be sim
cere because no says BIO IL, Gen. Butler in