New-York tribune., 1875-05-15

dOlorous complaints Of party losses OF FUNDS ana OF places
the journals and re air with statements that reform
worthy tho support Of great partyindee only
served the contempt Of men ready to fight like hyenas
iase coectorshp. or to seashoro lighthouse As spcci
mems of what often occurred may say, heard one one
treasury declare that his election cost him 81 600 which
he thought hard that he could not collect by snca az
faithful lighthouse keeper 70 make way foi an active
politician, who he said II elected could control III hs
lighthouse dependents face the incOntcstiec fact
that In England the application OF similar fies ior
sst selection M% dTe If M M Mr. aadono and
all the great liberal leaders and friends OF e9na,
has purified her administration and contrlDuted more
than any other to promote republican prncfpes
and to destroy the monopoly OF the W bS ire
sted themselves and paved the way for the defeat OF
the party by spcciOusly insinating ha' ie rus wec
statons But forbesr any further evidence Of decay
I'm the moral of party dear 10 me, ana Wnlcn
trust will yet rise to the level OF It's carrier "cno'e
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM m CONGRESS
" The opening stages Of the session made plain that
the Congressional majority was not guided by states
manship or animated by the controlling, moral sent
ment required for the support great REFORM Though
with membership in a degree unsucd by jobs or
scandals and honored by men OF rare virtue and
ability this Congress yet showed great want OF expo
strnDsey ready to follow that presmng spirit who be-
ieved in patronage and spos.
Various bills were presented and especially by Mr.
Smart which seemed to have the double object of getting
rid of the rules while avoiding the disgrace OF repldla
oSens tSn S1S e aim Of this bill
the 'V appcnmeHs S Jcos Cabinet Officers and oTega
ministers not already appropriated by Senators II act
ally provided for assigning numerical proportion OF al
clerks and employees TO each consiessonai district,
measure which would have placed the Executive at the
mercy OF Congress- and made the 1ate of every cerk ana
pInvn baufu Cp
There was appointed for the first time in the House
Committee on Civil Service Reform but instead OF
placing its head any friend OF the reiofi or OF me
President. Speaker Blaine selected for that position Mr.
stephen W. Kellogg plant politician from Connecticut,
with no convictions which interfered with pushing his
friends in violation OF the rules which he damned with
his own faint praise while he taught the rest 10 siieer.
There was an able minority Of sincere, worthy men on
the Committee but the majSriy s9npaihacd ~ with Mr
either the President. the partyor the reform IN view
Of such facts the members OF tne neI err s
facts, and without consulting any or my associates 50
that responsibility for my language belongs to myself
alone, could not fail to sec that the future was precari
GUS 1t open to them to resign from position which
they had not sought aud in which win ", neh
and rdlculc to stand at their post Of duty at all
one more appeal in behalf Of de and ayo pre-
sent the facts so fully before CONGRESS tal even !,
should repudiate the REFORM it, praclcabhiy ana lis
principles would be demonstrated. .,...., -.
Their report therefore, presented the theory ana MS
device for creating public virtue not sufficient
IN themselves; but as correct in theory, as in
harmony with institutions and social life. as having
accomplished good. rs being as comprehensive as
the public virtue woud sustain, as cal"bie OF being
dccJ,ened and broadencd in tie direction Oi public
abuaes sure If abandoned, 10 bring discoursement
and dish0nor.
report told the President and Congress hat the io'e
was fairly raised, and that the rules should now be rei
lafly enforced openly rejected Every oncci" tat
had cen urged against The system WAS answered,
both upon fact and upon pTincip,' ami "n open discus
sion by It's enemies was chalcnSed ,r =.
The whole theory OF Mr.. Smart's bill and OF
analogous bills was arraiencd and shown TO be
Orp0ssa to ali the sO9a c5n.Pnidn Pnn dendlnF IL
tendency impossible in practice as sur E - Gcsr'de Cor
force OF the Government into sch"mig politicians bound
TO take part in self defense in every iSr eee'@n ,
and telling him he had done everything thlt he could or
shoqld do "a soe 81 feline @ Pcn ha he
might honorably abandon the Ieor or OF olenins mo
tisan leaders desred,hc report nefcy asserted ihat
the criticism his acts was IN great measure, unjust,
rnpt !" ana it also declared that the President wa'
committed the REFORM in the form OF an exalted 20
ana NE civilized nations. his country his Office, his
party, his honor, judgment and ropu'a Ihai now
e impossible the Presiden. TO do unless the eA-
pertinent sroud fail to be benefit to The people
IL was not thought iul or lit Tor the Comm son to
saw moro or To speak palmer Tn Smart bill ana ail
others for respectfully covering The retreat III CoDgrG'
The facts views of the Pre- ident and Cabuet or the
general reasoning ci ne report VIA, co'" n9t Dc met
bate without a calm; Of yeas and nay5, without any
ay0wl OF policy or any assisnncnt o1 reasons Wl.d
orc manly protest even, the Congrcs, Of the United
Staes-thc party i'll p0wcGadOli dtte'Ipt.i ny itius-
lug small appropriation, 10 smother iic,>,'rs ol nr
enactment Tor which its President and tab.ct HpIedei
and upon he iah Of which an election ha been carried
There are 10 humating III the records Ol
Congress than those which record the cOhHlinlalon OF
this policy II there were some member wh" hah little
carDf the because II TOO narrow, or
too fetbly executed by the Prcsl' t, why du tcy not
stand up and m.luy declare that reason on the hoor oi
IT, al n Alarm
The country II there any WHO thought they cOnld
ifute the reasoning the facts OF the report, why dld
in The sos ssten thought the fate OF their party ydc
pended ulon bestowing places upon poor p9ili,JsS IN
not courage defend their hcoryf was this want
of fearless speecthis oyadng o great ssueihis SER
Witty 10 a peryadng, demOiazcd scumcnt-this Crns-
ing before the majority and the Presidcntths nhdcty
not merely to the prineipe; involved IA the ies bui TO
destroyed the confidence Of te people made Inevitable
the defeats that have followed
the Sanborn contracts and the moiey system and inves
gated the Washington frauds; bnt 1t Is also trie such
partisan sentiment which demanded general Civil Ser
vice Reform and now demands i and It was further
the vast net work Of official corrption seemed not at all
conscious Of their own a6Iury IN ca9ns , SO mneh
dating the great work OF reform by which they stood
pledged purify the whole web OF corruption, to tear up
BY the roots the entire spoils system, OF which the
pllageIs Washington, the yeual, incompetent collect
ors, the greedy robbers OF the unwary merchants
II was in vain that large majority of the Senate tried
TO arrest the policy Of the House The exigences Of
conference committee speedily c0nsnmated the purpose
of repudiation.
The PRESIDENTS ATTITUDE.
VII Even ii the greater responsibility for the disaster
rests upon Congress and the party managers it may be
asked II the President had been without fault Though
by no means able Justify the extreme and ndscrimi
nate ccsurc bestowed upon him-espcciay by those In
fuenal journals which at time did much for Civil
Reform. whose liSatfpetiOn did much n
weaken 1t after the Presidential elec tiOn yet hold Il
true the President gave sad occasion for criticism
and that he has been the cause OF most OF the trouble the
reform has cost him. II may be doubted whether when
he entered upon the work. he took the full OF
difficulties, anticipated the need OF much self
NAL and much resistance of solicitation sure
TO denand. The anauago OF his hr message The sub