New-York tribune., 1874-06-10

President UIanC WuS giving h kioS" ~"'
bers and constant care. and the Senate was
folding its underclothing so as to eniiven IL
always with the point of the persistent pln'
leaned over towards Mr.. Butler with the inquiry
"Is it well with the childr The great states
man lowered his left eye with dropping I'D
upon the attending physicians, while MS rlght
winked lazly at the Speaker and vision oil
the Fall elections entered into both as nc
answered, "It is we'll" A sad smile llil-
minated Franklin square; there was the creak-
ing of casters as an easy chair was turned
slowly around on Staten Island the eulogy
of Sumner was arrested and the voice OF an
eminent physician who gave up the case
several months ago was heard to say: Fed
"on green cucumbers, rolled over by able
/" bodied statesmen and used as pincushon
"by every body, it had no earthly chance. l
rejoice that it is out of its troubles and we
may have an end of lying about it,"
Well, it was q pleasing infant. Puny ana
sckly, to be sure. but it had dimples ana a
double chin, and a hectic flush and the light
in its eye of hope deferred; and on those
thrilling occasions when President Grant
expressed his extraordinary fondness for 1t by
caressng 1t with his mailed hand on both
cheeks till it was red in the face, out OF
breath, and staggering under an overwhelming
sense of his protection, it was utterly charm
ing. Much money was expended upon 1t;
catechism was invented in its behalf, which
applied to the ordinary tOrch-bearer OF the
Fall campaign the seyerest intellectual tests,
and extOrted from such q scholar as Marshal
Sharpe information concerning the principal
lake ports and items of interest concerning
the vulgarity of the fraction. which were at
once gratifying to the President OF the United
States and convincing to the Board Oh
Examiners of the Civil Service Commission.
In behalf of this Reform, the Great Re
publican Party of this country, which every
disinterested statesman in the postal ana
revenue service will admit deserves tho con-
fdence of the people on account of what 1t
has done, has issued more irredeemable prom
ises than on any other subject except the cur
rency. 1t has cOddled it in platforms, praised
it upon the stump, eulOgized it in newspaper
organs, and fairly kept it in low flesh and
sickly by constant hugging and caressing.
| The President kept saying in his messages,
The Reform in the Civil Service Is making
fine progress. The only thing lacking is for
! Congress TO pass laws forbiddng its own
members, under heavy penalties from inter-
fering with appointments" Friends OF the
| Administration pointed with pride to the ex-
| animation schemes prepared by the Board OF
Examiners several times the Reform tri-
umphcd over woOden-headed persons who had
| no friends or influence, and made places for
| pudding headed persons who had both. There
have been times in fact when the Reform seemed
| an uncommon success, and when 1t seemed
| probable that the present generation would
see the time when very few Heads OF De-
partments would dot the first person singular
of their personal pronOuns, and hardly
mail-carrier in the country would be ignO-
rant of the principal lake ports. Such was
popular confidence. 1t was exhibited for the
most part on the eve of important elections.
But it had its foes. Mr.. Morton of Indiana,
| leading statesman of the party which adopted
| it in its platform, and intimate and confiden-
tial friend of the President who urged Con-
gress to do something for it, turned up a
leading statesman's nose at 1t, and said we
had already the best Civil Service on the
planet. Mr.. Logan, likewise party leader and
Presidents friend propelled toward it No.
II boot. Mr.. Carpenter, conspicuous in the
same two relations, despised it. MIR. Butler
made faces at it, and Mr.. George Gorham,
Secretary of the Senate and member of the
National Republican Committee, wrote "a
| pamphlet about it which was distributed under
| the franking privilege, and let us hope re-
lieyed some distress where fuel was scarce.
Mr.. Blaine was very fond of it-in Maine /;
and enthusiastic about it-before election. In
Washington-after election-he looked the
matter over very carefully; he observed how
tenderly the President regarded it; he gazed
| into the thoughtful, earnest eyes of represent
| atives from all parts of this favored land
| who had told their constituents how anxious
they were to have the Civil Service reformed,
| and to be relieved of the responsibility of ap-
| pointing postmasters and tide walters; he read
| their profound sincerity in their eager eyes,
| and he appOinted-the pail bearers. The Hon.
James G.. Blaine of Maine, we may be per-
mtted to remark, was not born yesterday.
Mr.. Kellogg, the Chairman of the Commit
tee, being little uneasy at having been re-
moved from the Committee on Patents, where
he could be very useful to the manufacturing
interests of the Naugatuck Valley, was at first
| disposed to make it uncomfortable in his new
position. He reported bill.
Whereupon his home organs pointed to him
| with enthusiasm, saying, "LOOk at Kellogg
"See what KelOggs doing! He has just
"shouldered this Reform, he has. Now who
"says he is MT Reformerin 1t was too much
for him. He subsidized. And so in the Com
mittee the other day, when the question came
up whether or not Congress would appropriate
a trifle of $25.0OO to keep the thing going. pay
the Commissioners, and have some catechisms
printed, Mr. Butler-who sits down heavy
sometimes-sat Down suddenly with his entire