The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-19

departed from" Amid the cloud of dis.
couragement which surrounds this reform |
il is gratifying to perceive the undaunted |
face of Mr.. Dorman B. Eaton, who still
expresses his confidence in its genuinenessI
and efficiency. N
About the time the great Missouri sena-
tor was speaking orders were issued in
Washington that the advertisements of
the federal government should be given to
those journals alone which sustain the ad-
ministration through thick and thin.
This, it will be seen, is an even more strik-
ing piece of intimidation" than that
which was referred to by Mr.. SchurA 1t
is the same thing in effect, forit is an at
tempt to control the opinions OF the press
through its advertising department. The
Democrat in Louisiana discharges his color.
ed body servant, his porter or his field
hand, because the latter votes the Kellogg
Republican ticket. The federal admins
tration withdraws its advertisements from
certain journals because the latter discuss
lpublic questions without reference to the
to the favor of the men who for the time
being constitute the general government.
4 THE Louisiana Democrat goes upon the
1 theory that ne not only has the right to
direct the acts but to control the opinions
Iof his servant. The federal administra
ton adopts the theory that the public jour
nails which contain the government adver-
tisements shall, courtier like, say only what
lis pleasing to the ears of the dispensers OF
THESE advertisements. The Louisiana Dem.
ocrat makes no pretension to be in favor OF
| civil service reform, but the administration
does. Both agree in using business em.
ployment as an aid in. politics, with this
difference, that the citizen of Louisiana
does it in respect to his own private affairs
ovsr which he has absolute control, where
| as the administration does il. in respect II
! great public interests which it holds II
trust for the welfare of the whole people
81 Postmaster General Jewell recently Oh
tanned considerable praise for saying, il
: his official report, that in the management
E iof his department the interests of tn,
public shall be paramount to those Of an.
e individual, corporation or party" He wa
| praised for this because the sentiment com
b mends itself to the candid Judgment. of al
/: intelligent men. The post Office depart
: ment does not exist for political purposes
!. but for business purposes. Its sole deslgr
ard legitimate work is to carry the mails
9 not to NEEDLE in politics. So the treasury
, department exists to carry on particular
+ business, which is not. in any partisan
q sense, political and the same thing is true
!, with perhaps a slight exception in favor o
a the state department, which deals with tor
d eign affairs, of every department of tn
If federal government. 1t follows from thi
n that all the operations of these depart
e ments ought to be conducted on bushes
y principles and not in subsection to partisa
IF opinions or necessities. If the post offic
s. department, for example, is required to &C
at lvertise, the advertisements should be give
le out, not with reference to the opinions {
is editors, but with reference to journal
le circulation, the character of its reader
ne and other business characteristics whic
sn will suggest themselves to any merchan
9 This is the way business is conducts
It. Politics" it appears, are conducted diffe
lently. The administration has decided
on unite the two and hereafter to conduct Il
is business operations of the government
VS. as, if possible, to ''intimidate" the pres
de OF course the attempt will be failure, b
de it is pitiable nevertheless.