The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-04-18
facts, and not on any mans interpreta-
tion of Them

facts, and not on any mans interpreta-
ton of them.
Nevertheless it will be perceived with
pleasure by all true friends Of reform
that there is no desire to evade the plain
issue involved in this matter. III the
most intelligent and influential of the
Presidents supporters do not condemn
him FOR the alleged abandonment of the
reform, it is because they do not believe
he has abandoned it. They show-as
they feel-no disposition to qualify such
a mistake il it should be made. On the
contrary, they take this opportunity OF
reafiirming their sincere devotion to re-
main faithful to it until the element of
patronage is taken out of politics en-
tirely. erf.I w
Probably nothing the President has
ever done has made him SO many sim
cere friends among the people as his
efforts toward abolishing political infiu-
ence in appointments. 1t may be that
even the President himself does not
understand how powerfully the general
confidence in his pledges on this sub
ject worked for him with that great body
of honest men who vote, but who are
not partisans, or in any selfish sense
politicians. This feeling was called out
by the Presidents distinct and unquali-
fled announcement that "honesty and
efficiency, not political activity, will de-
termine the tenure of Office. This dec
.laration of the President was of great
effect in the recent canvass. 1t, and
what Che President did in accordance
with it, carried the votes of large class
who had but little confidence in the
managing politicians of the Republican
party, and who saw that Congress OBJ
stinately refused to give the President
the Legislative aid he asked for. A very
considerable part of the Republican
party last fall was distrustful of its lead
ers. Probably the numerical majority
was so. But there was no distrust of the
President, and the very strongest reason
for keeping faith in him was the belief
that he had taken up the civil service re-
form in spite of politicians, and would
carry it out against the politicians as
such.
No one can destroy this faith-except
the President, and we have seen no evil
dencethat he entertains any intention of
doing so, or feels any temptation in
that direction. 1t may be that he does
not grasp the details of the system
he has himself inaugurated as clearly
and firmly as could be wished. But we
have seen no proof that he will not
stand true to the pledges he has made,
or that he will not steadily advance in
the direction of excluding the element of
political influence from appointments.
Even selfish motives hold him to this.
If his honor were not publicly staked on
this reform. he would see that his repu-
tation as civilian must stand or fall
with it. He has declared war against
the professional neutrality-suspicious..
Failure in this reform would be defeat
for him, and victory for them. Such
defeat would be doubly humiliating to
him, because the people would be con-
WINGED that he was conquered, not by
force, but by art not by the politicians
superior strength, but by his own rela-
tive weakness. There is nothing in
Gen. Grants character to warrant the
belief that he courts any such verdict on
his career.-NeU York Times.