New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-25


to be trifieC with in brief, Mr.. Eaton's advice
is, Arouse the people and make the reform 80
popular that no one will dare resist it.
"The duty of reform" says Mr.. Eaton with
a solemn seriousness, 4" is not confined to the
Federal officers alone" And then with equal
apparent seriousness though it cannot be no
did not thrust his tongue into his cheek as he
wrote, he says: 1t is great mistake to for
"bear organization, discussion and united ac-
ton among tho people, merely because the
" President and Congress are making an effort
" to withstand the pressure OF mercenary par
tisanship. The aid of a high and stern pub
"lc opinion is needed" Is not MIR. Eaton
aware that the high and stern public opinion
already existss Does he not know that neither
the President nor Congress has made any effort
whatever to withstand the pressure OF merce-
nary craftsmanship Is he not fully aware that
mercenary partisanship invariably governs the
Administration, and that the high and stern
public opinion, no matter how high or how
stern it is, has no influence whatever
We believe Mr. Eaton Is sincere. But his
is tho fault, the weakness, we may almost say
the crime, of this political period. He will
not see that the President Of his choice and
the Congress of his party are capable OF doing
wrong. He must know by this time, as well
az Mr.. Geo. VIM. Curtis did when he resigned
on account of it, that the appointments or
President Grant are about as bad as they can
be, and that Congress not only supports MIN
in the spois system, but is constantly advis-
ing it. Does Mr.. Eaton say the President Is
driven to make these appointments by merce-
nary partisansf Then the President is unfit
for his office. Does he say that these
mercenary partisans are not the partyf who
is more influential in tho party than
Mr.. Butler, the personifcation of merccnary
craftsmanship Or than Mr.. Carpenter, VINO
scouts Civil Service Reform az hum
bugf Or than Mr.. Morton. who says
we have now tho best Civil Service on the
planet Or than Mr. Boutwell,, who openly
dcnounces the refOrms Possibly Mr. Eaton
would advise that such men as these be defeated
in their aspirations to positions where they can
obstruct the reform. Indeed we can see
nothing to be gained in arousing public opinion
unless it il the defeat of these conspicuous
opponents of the measure But wo presume
both Mr.. Eaton and Mr.. White are aware that
80 soon as high and stern public OPINION
against these men is organized, 1T becomes
treason to tho Administration anu the paiIy,
and the organizers of it go out OF the party
councils forever. DO we understand this to be
the course advisedf Speak little more
plainly, Mr. Eaton.
1t strikes us that this correspondence Is more
significant in what it suggests than III what 1t
specifically recommends No impartial person
can read it without discovering that the chief
obstruction to reform is the Commission itself,
of which Mr.. Eaton is the head. The people
want reform. The party in power has prom
ised it. President and Congress both cOnspTe
to defeat it; to make the very name of it a
by-word end the Commission laughing stock.
And then comes forward Mr.. Eaton with
statement that the President and Congress are
irving to resist the pressure of mercenary par
tisanshp but that there is no high and stern
public opinion to back them up i'll 1t; that the
reform is making progress, notwithstanding, ana
that to crown ALL the appointment OF Sim
mons was made under the rules. Approaching
the difficulties of Mr. Eat0n's position, and
believing that notwithstanding the cOmplca-
tons of his position he means to do right, we
do not withhold our admiration for his per-
sistency and patience But we repeat that no
reform in the Civil Service is possible until
wa have an Administration that cOmprehends
it, and is capable of rising above petty per-
sonal considerations and the narrOwest parti-
sonohin