Wilmington journal., 1876-06-30

and common destiny. Reform is ne
cessary in the civil service. Expert
ence proves that efficient, economical
couduct of the governmental business
is not possible if its civil service be
subject to change at every election, lie
a prize fought for at the ballot box, be
brief reward of party zeal instead
OF posts of honor assigned for
proved competency aud held for
fidelity in the public employ; th It the
dispensing of patronage should neither
be tax upon the time of all our pub
lie men nor the instrument of their
ambition. Here again professions,
falsified i'll the perform attest
that the party in power can work out
no practical or salutary. reform Re
form is necessary. even more 80 in the
higher grades of public service
Presidsn Vice President, Judges,
Senator's, Representatives and Cabinet
officers, These and all others in au-
thority are the peoples servants.
Their offices are not private perquis-
ite; they are public trust. When the
annals of this republic show the dis =
grace and censure of Vice President,
u late Speaker of the House Of Repre-
sentatives marketing his rulings as n
presiding office, ,rthree Senators profit
ing secretly by their votes as law
makers, i've chairmen of leading COM
mittees of the iate House of Repre-
sentatives exposed III ipbbery, late
Secretary of the Treasury forcing bal
ancss in the public accounts, late
Attorney General misapprouriatiug
public funds, Secretary of the Navy
enriched or enriching friends by per
centages levied off the profits on con
tractors with his department, an
ambassador to England concerned in
dishonorable speculation, the Presi-
dents private secretary barely escaping
conviction upon trial for guilty COM
plicity in frauds upon the revenue, a
Secretary of War impeached for high
crimes aud confessed misdemeanors,
the demonstration is complete that
the first step in reform must
be the peoples choice of honest
men from another party, lest
the disease of one political orgauiza-
tion infest the body polite, thereby
making no change of men or party. we
can get no change of measure and no
reform. All these abuses. wrongs and
crimes, the product of 16 years
ascendency of the republican party,
create necessity for reform, con-
fessed by republicans themselves, but
their reforms are voted down in
convention and displaced from the
cabinet. Reform can only be
had by a peaceful civic resolution.
We demand change of system. a
change of administration, change of
parties that w. may have a change
of members and of men.
The readlug was frequently inter-
snptei by applause The denuucia-
ton Of the resumption act aud demand
for the repeal was read with especial
favor. At the conclusion Dofsheimer
said the committee had adopted aud
endorsed, though not "a part of the
platform, IN the resolution which he
read the endorsement of the action of
the Hon e of Representatives lii cut
ting down appropriations. He ex
hrrted tD tirmneSs also the resolution
as to the just claims of sol 1iers, sailors
aud widows and orphans.
General Ewing presented at the
request of several gentlemen a sub~
stlt'ste for the financial plank. The
mhlDrlty report was adopted by vote
ut 60! to S}.
LATEar The whole vote on the Pad
h tIInt was 1tS Necessary 10 Il choice
1872. Tilden had !l35. Hendricks 60,
Allen 81; iiuncuck 80, Bnyard II,
Thurman %. aud Parker IS.
The cnnveutiou adjourned until 9
O'Clock thus morning without any
action on the Vice Presidency.