Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-09-21

credit. Should he be elected Presi-
dent, he will undoubtedly eject from
their places, and if possible other
wise punish, all the dishonest officers
now in the service making "clean
sweep" he will eject them, together
with the good ones.
Now have we any reason to expect.
with regard to the cleaning process,
less from Gov. Hayes, should he be
elected to the presidency. 1t is well
known that Gov. Hayes was not my
favorite candidate for the presiden-
tial nomination, and am not in the
least inclined to extol him with ex-
travagant praise. What l shall say
of him viii be simple justice to his
character aud record. You, citizens
of Ohio, have had the best opportu>
nifty to form your judgment of him
from near observation of his official
and private conduct, and as far as |
know, that judgment, whether ex-
pressed by friend or foe, is absolutely
unanimous. Three times he has been
elected governor of your State
against the strongest candidates of
the opposition. True. he has had no
occasion to break up Canal Rings or
other extensive and powerful corrupt
combinations, for the simple reason
that in Ohio they did not exist. But
it is universally recognized, not only
that Gov. Hayes is man whose per-
sonal integrity stands above the reach
of suspicion, man of high sense
Of honor, but that his admnistra-
tons were singularly pure, irreproach
able, and efficient in every respect.
If he had no existing corruption to
fight, ne certainly did not permit any
to grow up. Nobody suspects him Of
being capable of tolerating a thief
within the reach of his power, much
less to protect one by favor or even
by negligence. 1t is also well known
that, while party man, he always
surrounded himself with the best and
most high toned elements of the or
ganization, and kept doubtful charac-
tiers at distance He is esteemed as
a man of very strong and high sense
of dnty and that quiet energy which
does not rest until the whole duty is
faithfully performed. The endeavor
to purify the Government and to keep
it pure will, therefore, with him not be
a matter of artificial policy, but of
instructive desire, one of the neccssi-
ties of his nature. lie is honest, and
enforces honesty around him simply
because he cannot be and do other
wise. In saying this | have only
given the verdict of his opponents,
and when here and there the asser-
ton is put forth that Gov. Hayes
administration of the national Gov
eminent would only be a continuation
of the present way of doing things,
it is one Of those empty and contemp-
tible partisan filings which prove only
to what ridiculous extrcmities those
are reduced who are bent upon in
venting some charge against man of
unblelnshed character and most
honorable and pure record Of public
service.
CIV. HAYES LETTER ON REFORM.
The first cleaning-out process, then,
seems we'll enough assured in any
event. But the more important ques-
ton occurs, in what manner that
cleaning-out process is to be accom-
plshed and what is TO follow. Where
have we to look for that greater and
lasting reform which is to ensure an
honest and efficient public service and
higher moral tone in our political
life for the future ? On this point
both candidates have spoken in their
letters of acceptance, and their utter
ances are entitled to far greater con-
sideration than the party platforms.
Look at the letter of Gov. Hayes
first. 1t is explicit, and remarkable
for the clearness and straightforward
ness Of its expressions.
1t is the clearest and completest
programme of civil service reform
ever put forth by public man in this
republic. Not single essential point
is forgotten, and what is more, there
is in it no vagueness or equivocation
of statement or promise. No back
door is left for escape. Each point is
distinct, precise, specific, and unmls-
taxable. 1t covers the whole ground
with well-de6ned propositions. If
this programme is carried out the re.
form of the civil service will be
thorough and genuine and if the
reform is permantly established, the
main source of the corruption and
decentralization of our political cons
Germs, the spoils system, will be effec-
tually stopped. 1t will be the organ
ization of the service on business
principles. Even the opponents of
Gov. Hayes will be compelled to
admit this. Some of them have in
deed attempted to find fault with one
or the other of his propositions, but
their objections are easily disposed OF.
A few Democratic papers argue
that if officers are kept 10 their places
as long as their personal character
remains untarnished and the perform
ance of their duties satisfactory, the
result will be ga permanent aristocra
cy of office-holders. Is this so ?
Look back into the history OF the
republic and you will find that under
the early administrations down to
John Quincy Adams, public officers
were kept in place as long as their
character remained untarnished and
the performance of their duties salts
factory. Where was the "aristocraey
of office. holders" during that period?
If there ever was anything that might
be called an Office holding aristocracy
in tie worst sense of the term, it did
not exist under the early administra-
tons, when good official conduct was
considered a valid title to continuance
in place, but it was created by the
spoils system, which stripped the
officer Of bis simple character Of a
servant of the Government and made
him a party agent. or in case of those
of higher grade, a party satrap,
obsequious to those above him and