The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-01-21
THE PRESS.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, JAN. 81, IA
Adyice.Giying

Advice-Giving +
Our neighbors, the Argus and the ADDER
tiser, in carefully prepared editorials, have
been exchanging advice. In both cases it mas
been done with the utmost caution and Win
out any indication of that fervor when ieaas
to excessive hand-clasping The ieast winch
the Advertiser invites the Democratic party
to partake of. is civil service reform-to take
the civil service out of politics, strip Con-
gressmen of the patronage which they have
. ,usurped, and to distinguish between political
Offices which should always be flied by cleo
ton and civil offices which are denominated
clerkships which should permanently be filled
by competent and trusty public servants on
business principles. This, the Advertiser
declares to be the paramount issue before
the country. The first step toward the ac-
complishClent of this object, the Advertiser
believes, is the immediate disbanding of the
b Democratic party. Very frankly the ADDER
tiser tells the Democracy that ever since
Jackson's time, as party, it has been in
favor of the "spoils system" and it might
have added regular rotation in Office.
To this suggestion, the argus as yet makes
no response. Any change of political parties
which does not place every office in the ma
ton at the disposal of the victors, has no at
traction for the Democracy. 1t has stood on
various and contradictory platforms the past
twenty years and shouted score of conflict
ing war cries, but all this has been inspired by
the expectation that thousands .of offices
would be vacated for them in the event Of VIC
tory. 4 eaa0 suo sl b~els ela
i'o On its part, the Argus advises the support
ers of the Advertiser policy of forming new
b party to organize, and lest there should be any
mistake about its advice, it sets the word
forth in italics, small capitals and capitals just
as it exhorts the faithful to vote early and
vote the whole ticket. Moreover the argus
finds an example in Wisconsin where the
whole Democratic party united in the reform
movement and the dissatisfied Republican,
the ex-officials and disheartened ofhce-seek-
ers, with rare exceptions-became tail to
the Democratic kite and victory was achiev-
! ed; and, as consequence, the Chicago
Times tells us, the Bourbons have secured ev-
cry Office. 1t does not tell its readers that
this reform was secured SO far as the de-
feat of Gov. Washburn is concerned by a
combination of railroad interests hostile to
. him, and the liquor interest Of the State
which he had offended by his executive
d recommendations. a1as ID -talf r.
7 We do not question the honesty of the Ad
pertiser in its advocacy of civil service reforms
ox,I of& -. -
accomplish that purpose, if, in another direc-
ton, have been as constant. But we have
not the same respect for the uneasy polti-
clans who, as advocates of civil service re-
2 form, have been doing their utmost ever since
they became ex-ofice holders, to break up the
tiser as their champion. When in Office they
believed in and practised the things they so
loudly complain of now. If these gentlemen
are honest, we have had score OF miraculous
conversions In political opinion as striking in
their kind as that Of Saul of Tarsus. Doubtless
they think that they are really in favor Of the
reform the Advertiser advocates, but the pro-
fessions Of hungry ex-oficials like many 9th
er white men, are to be taken with grains of
allowance. fs-'l5 ii 1li.iill ;-i gE, I
As to the Democratic party, in its best
days, it attained power by its adherence to
its loudly proclaimed declaration: "To the
victors belong the spoils." Those in office
were made happy by the good they enjoyed
while those out were kept in spirits by the
sure principle of rotation which in time
would bring them to official station and its
emoluments. For the ''spoils'' of Office it
became the slave party and in the hope that
the same chief end of political organization
would be accomplished, it has successfully
been the party of reasonable peace in time of
war, and retrogresson when progress has been
demanded. Through all the years of the past,
it is the hope of Office which alone has given
the leaders of high and low degree courage;
and those who have threatened the past few
years to leave or dlsband it, have been
led to do so because they see nothing in the
future but defeat and no hope of Office.