New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-01-11

patriot is breathed a-politician's promise. DO
the people rise in honest Indignation that their
confidence has been abused and positions OF
trust and honor been prostitutedf Rises theh
a State Convention and joins heartily In the
protest while it renOminates st tho old ticket
Is the Civil Service degraded and debased till un-
fit and dishonest men the country over are fooling
with duties they do not comprehend. and add
ing to salaries they cannot earn, the shameful
wages of corruption7 Why then up starts the
party in power and says: "The system is
"wrong. We must reform the system, we
"and only we. 1t would be dangerous
GIN the extreme to trust so delicate
"task to party that is believed
"to' be without principle and is known to be
"without experience" And then it leads out
a scapegoat or two, adopts the most encour-
aging platforms in its conventions and-pro-
ceeds with the work. Why be discouraged
then2 Does not each recurring Autumn, the
campaign period, the season of elections, re-
assure us with millennial hopes! DO we not
have always with the falling leaf the bud OF
resolution and the flower of platform, the hrst
green promises of all parties of an abundant mar
vest of Reform And what need we more shall
we DO cynical because platforms are ike one
dollar bills-made to be renewed, not re-
deemed? because parties are like the Gov
ernment, with no basis for their paper issues
No indeed. Let MS rather take heart and be
comfortcd in the thought that with each sea
son the beautiful promises return, and hope
springs autumnal in the human breast
And we do have Great Reforms sometimes.
Witness the proceedings of this Congress. We
L.. iisaf.
iority in Congress They had been running
the Government for long time and had
got the knack of H. They did some
things very well ard di,cTc,tly. But III
others they were careless, and in Their
administration of the Civil Service they
had grown 10 be 50 petty and 80 PARTISAN ana
had promised reform so many times, ana so
many times failed. that large numbers OF citI-
zcns had grown impatient anu weary
of it. This was especially the ease with
the leaders of the Democratic party.
Many eminent persons in that organization
Were distressed ON account OF It; many oi
them who were ont Of employment were made
wrctchcd by thoughts of the Disgrace brought
upon free institutions 10y the unscemly scram-
bile for Offices and the ndignidcd manner oi
foundly moved the Democratic party was
by the manner in which the 'i'h
Service WAS administered, aud especially
by the fact that the offices were considered
rewards for party service. The People were
struck with admiration ut the dgnitcd pc
siion taken by this Great National Party.
They said. we will have a chlngc-a political rev
olution. They did resolve. They gave the control
Of the House of Representatives To the Dcmor-
racv, saving rs they did So, Now We VIII have
these things reformed We will give thcs,
" sincere and patriotic gentlemen who have been
" so shocked at the administration oG the CNil
Service an opportunity to initiate new
more reputable and digniaed condition Of
things in one department Of the Gov
eminent" Wen, they have been at il
only about u month, and inst consider
for n moment what has been accomplished.
They are modest about 1t themselves; they
are not the sort of folks that point with prid"
TO what they have done as soon rs obey have
done it. But just look at it. Why, in the first
place, there never was such alacrlty shown
by the masses Of Il party Ill assisting
TO carry out Great Reform. Thou
sands of able men from all parts
of the country offered themselves at once, and
the State of Kentucky, that stronghold OF
Democracy, which had been greatly scandal
lied by the Generalization of the public ser
vice. almost threw itself bodily into Washing
ton TO take a hand in the work of regcnera-
ton.
And vet there has been no hasty action.
Several DAYS elapsed before the Congressional
Library was purified aud reformed by the
removal Of Mr. John j. Piatt, the poet and
author, and the appointment in his place of
an cx-mcmber of Congress from Ken
lucky. And it is only within It week
that another important step has been
taken in the work of Reform by the re-
moyal Of the keeper of the Congressional
restaurant and the appointment in ms
place of sincere and earnest friend of
Reform. II has been great work done
deliberately, but with no unnecessary delay.
There may be one or two places left 10 bc
purified and reformed but with the disposition
that has been thus far manifested, and the
readiness of so many persons 10 take hold and
help, we do not doubt that tho "clcln sweep"
will be completed shortly. And who Shall say
in view of these facts that Reform is impossi-
br7 Look at the House Library Con
s,dcr the Congressional Restaurant How proud
we ought to be of this Congress and its work!
No; while these things go on we cannot, we
must not, be discouraged. Let us contemplate
the Great Movement with calm satisfaction,
and anticipate with delight the day when Tins
party shall have IA chance to put III operation
throughout the country tho reform ii has so
successfully initiated in Congress. IseIe'll be
an exhibition for us.