Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-07-15
THE TWO PLATFORMS, no. g. THE
REFORM PLANK.

In the present condition of the body
polite, that no political organization
ventures, at this time, to appeal for
support to the people, without at least
taking some cognizance Of the univer-
sal demand, tina. remedies of some sort
shall be applied to that scandalous sys-
tenn of public plumber which has made
our government the subject, not only
of indignation at home, but of scorn
and loathiDg throughout the civilized
world.
Even the party under whose admin
istration so much of this frightful cor
ruption has grown up, and whose lead
ing men are SO deeply tainted with it,
even the ludicrously miscalled repub-
lican party finds itself compelled to in
troduce into its platform SEINE slight
inkliDg of perception that something
in the way of reformation is looked for.
The following is thecIause in which
the party gives its unwilling assent to
the necessity Of saying something:
S. Under the Constitution, the President
and heads of departments are to make
nominations for ONCE, the senate is to ad-
wise and consent to appointments, and the
House OF Representatives is to accuse and
prosecute faithlesS officers The best inter-
ests of the public service demand that these
distinctions be Fespected, that Senators and
Representatives who may be judges and
accusers should not dictate appointments
10 office. The invaria5le rule for appoint
ments should have reference to the honesty,
hdelity and capacity OF the appointees,
giving TO the party in power those places
where harmony and vigor of administra-
ton require its policy to be represented,
but permitting ali other to be filled by per-
sons selected with sole reference to effici-
ency OF the public service, and the right of
citizens to share la the honor of rendering
faithful service to their country.
8. We rejoice in the quiekened conscience
OF the people concerning political affairs.
We viii hold all public Officers to a rigid
responsibility, and engage that the prose-
cutiOn and punishment of all who betrav
official trusts shall be speedy, thorough and
unsparing-lcheers-l
So far then as there is anything that
looks like a practical proposition
in this manifesto, it seems limited to
the injunction that the executive shall
be as little interfered with as possible
in its appointments, aud with a lam b.
like simplicity the inference is implied
that if they had been let alone. Messrs.
Grant. Belknap, Robson & Co., would
have managed the whole thingwith the
innocence of doves; and then with what
sounds like bitter irony, clause 6, re-
peats in other words the presidents
exclamation let no guilty man escape.
Short as mems memory is in political
matters, people can hardly be expected
to have forgotten that at the very mo-
meut while this utterance was made the
whole power of the executive was put
forward for the purpose of shielding the
guilty, thatevery person who has shown
any activity in exposing guilt has in
CURED the deadliest hostility of the ex-
ecutive, witness BristOw shouldered out
of Office and all his appointments re-
versed; witness Custer goaded to his
death at Little Horn by the perseeu-
ton Of those whom he had offended by
testifying against Belknap; witness the
executive appointments made since the
late convention in which every APP
pointee bore upon him the brand of
previous peculation.
Oh, it will be a hopeful step towards
reform that Gen. Grants famous as
piratiou shall be fulfilled, Now at last
l can do as l like" He has been do
ing so for week or two and it has be-
come palmer than ever what he likes.
And, finally, as if to shut out out all
hopes Of reformation with the present
party in power, comes the endorsement
of the 18th clause:
II. The national administration merits
commentator Tor its honorable work in
the management of our domestic and for
eign affairs, and President Grant deserves
the continued and hearty gratitude of the
American people for hispatriOtism and i'm
mense services In war and in peace.
Thereitstands, nothing but common
dalton, nothing is to be repented of,
nothing to be changed; everything de-
serves the continued hearty gratitude
of the American people"
So much for the prospects held out
by the Republican platform. There is,
after all, some excuse for them; any
definite putting forth of sound and
pure principles of administration would
have been so severe a condemnation of
the whole career Of the Republican
party, that it was scarcely in human ma
ture to be expected from them-silence
was the only refuge left for the guilty.
But now let it be noted what com
plete contrast to the republican reserve
on the subject is the Democratic man
ifesto upon reform.
To put down all that is said upon the
subject would be to transcribe the
whole platform, and many of our read
ers must almost know it by heart by
this time.
Reform like trumpet tone breaks
through every sentence aud takes the
lead in every clause; the delinqueneies
of the last ten years are held up as
mark for the national indignation in
every department of government and
reform is in every department demand
ed. No vague generalities but the
plainest specifications of peculations
and corruptions are given, and no rank /.
is spared-president and vice presi-
dent, senators, judges, cabinet minis
tiers, army officials and suffers and |
camp-followers, treasury thieves and /
whiskey thieves are all included in one /
torrent of Remuneration, and stern and /
unrelenting remedial measures de-
manded.
But this is not all, The chief source
of all this evil, our faulty civil service
system is probed to the centre and all |
its vicious subserviency to party war
fare explored, and \ change in its
mode of working demanded which
would be a revolution in itself; meas
ures are urged for making it not only
illegal but impossible.
Reform Al necessary in the civil service.
Frwnerfance proves that efficient eco- 1
,,.,ts,ts.,,l conduct Qfthe Governmental ms
$500 ~ not posi- BILE IL its civil service ba
s,,hieef 10 4 change at every election; be a
4SriSe fought Tor nj the ballot box; be a brief
"A rsserxI mi marty, instead OF posts OF honor
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