New-York tribune., 1876-08-10

If!t il one condition ~ q rcg'HcratNd civil service
thatpuhc officials should attend to their business
even when the pprty' is bVrdcncl with a pressure
ofcamplign work. it is not comforting 10 observe
that IN" political clubs 0t the city arc Differed, the
p.,itc9l demonstrations engineered and tho politi
cal committee work discharged very largely 10y gem
tlemcn who aro drawing pay for other services.
Democratic State officials and gentlemen con
nr.trd with the Departments find leisure 20 do
much of the drulg.ry of the reform canvass while
the Custom-honsc stands ready with reserve corps
t. rc;nrnrcc the whole army Of Republican workers
in any emergency. And vet both parties advertise
themselves rs zcaoHs advocates Of civil! service re-
form. 1t wouid seem 10 De PLAN proposition that
when the State employs an officer and pays him, the
State and not political party or faction OF party
has claim upon has activities. ana that II the State
can furnish nothing for him 10 do the office ought to
be abolished aad tie pay stopped. AT all events,
these gentlemen ought TO know that they are max
ing an offensive exhibition Of themselves, ami If
thay are still constrained to toll at the crlnks of the
machine. regard for the proprctIes ought to per
s;ldc them 10 keep out OF sight much possible,
instead OF ranging themselves in the front seats on
the platform at every ratification"
Tho statements of the general reduction in wages
given in Yesterdays rEIrUNr were sufficiently strik
Gcn,fally TIE prices at which wOgkmcn, can be ca-
gagged aca furnished by the woiGm,n themselves, or
;,y their unions. anl are likely therefore to be
plascI at the highest i.ure at all consistent with
the facts. Whoever has any occasion 10 employ
1uy considerable number Of Workngmcn will had
i',at in a large number %! the occupations cnume-
rated in ". tcitlays table. he can employ tir,caSS
mon at "A further reduction Of from 10 10 u per
cen, below the lowest figures thcgo named. Thus
the weekly wages for carpenters were said to be
from S;lS 10 f2l. Any builder can employ as many
fr,t-Ca,s carpenters IS he wants at 80, and find
them grateful for the chance. The same may In
said Of most of the other trades connected with
building In fact, there has been 40 time IN the
past IL years when building could be done IN New
York nj 80 cheap rate, ami scarcely time IL thar
interval when there has been 50 little OF 1t doing.
The TRIBUNE i, very far from desiring 90 mis-
rcpro,en either side IN the present political contest
least oi All would 1t De willing 70 misrcpr,scnt the
position OF the Democracy upon The currency ques-
ton. which we observe has been charged. In
common with the rest cf tho community, The
TRIBUNE has been exceedingly anxious to learn pre-
ciscly what that position is. In the confusion
arising from the conflicting opinions of the party
leaders and the contradictory ut'eInoes of plat
forms and organs have been driven 20 tho record
of the party in Congress, aud the only tangible
thing to be- found in that IS tho vote Ia repeal the
pledge of the Government; to redeem its promises at
fixed time. I hat pledge has been distinctly, abso-
lutely. and uuequiyocalIy repUdated by party
vote of a Democratic House. And that constitutes
the entire record of the party upon tine subject. We
are sorry if any one is lIgrievcd, because on this
record we call tho Democracy The party of Tcpudia-
ton But really friends If it isn't that, what is il
Not tho Larty Of resumption, that's very certain
because Congressman Garfield believes that the
adoption of the Onc-mctal system wise. The Gin
cipaaf Commercial observes that ho raises his advo-
cacy of a scl.-cvdcnt cheat to rejoicing over de-
tccted crmep ii all newspapers should sling about
harsh phrases and charges OF felony with such loose
| ness 1t would not be strange if their influence
| should diminish. Perhaps t might bc cXpodent as
well rs dcc0ros to remember that there is some dis
tinction to bo drawn between an honest difference
! Of opinion and u crime.
| Some plain people who went dutifully through
Mr.. 1ildens letter rested from its perusal with the
| impression that the Governor had forgotten some
| thing. From his letter, his Grafton to the Jackson
| Legion, aud his impressive response to Mr.. Hanna
| il was evident that the Governor had a vivid con-
! ception of tho wolf" and sundry other apparions
but in his sweeping survey Of all things past. pres
ent and 10 come there was detected reference 20
q war Of some magnitude which is popularity supposed