The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-07-18
Another Independent NeWSpa.
= I = 5per for Hayes.

kAnOl0eEl Ialuuepeuuent NeWbnh-
~ II upper for Hayes.
rFmm The Springfield Republian.l
i So far al Governor Hayes controls and
reuresents his own case, t Is beyond the
criticism Of refOfmer or independent, By
record and character, by association and
sympathy. and now by his letter Of ac-
csptsnee. he occupies the most advanced
reform PLATFORM Nobody, as Carl
schurI says, has ever better stated the
civil. service question, as nobody could
more clearly propose the reform treat.
.asrt n Il. Governor Hayes has done
svervthiny that could be done to remove
The wound 10 tile reform cause, and me
damage 10 The Republican party, by the
defeat Of Mr.. Brlstow at cincinnati:
SO He has clearly allied himself
with the reform elements OF INC parry.
Not only by his. character, but ~ nus
words. and, still more. perhaps, BY the
dTift Of public opinion and political asso-
ciation. must he make his ;administta-
zion. ii he has one 10 make, out OF the
circle Of men who have made themselves
conspicuous as the leaders Of reform. IL
IL abundantly safe to predict that George
Curtis, Benjamin Bristow, Carl schut5
and their likes WILDE the inspiring ana
controlling influences 9f-a Hayes admin
istration. - .l. e. "a
vantages which President Hayes would
have over President Tilden.. His work
,ro,;IJ bc easier, because OF the more
symnathetic and stronger hands about
him because more OF the recognized and
trusted leaders Of reform would be asso,
ciated with him at!once. The second ahu
connected advantages would be the ao-
senee of any great clamor or cause lor
| clarnor for 4 general change in the Office,
holders under him. The great body Of
the Democratic party clearly enough DO
not mean their pfomised civil service re-
form shall begin until after there has
been a general change in the offices. Inc
spoils doctrine must have one more NUS
fration before virtue shall set In. What
ever President Tildens oEn purposes
might be, he could not wholly fesisttn
demand. He has created too many obli-
cations, too many expectations among
| Ris party friends to make 1t possible foF
Him 10 refuse a very wide and demoral-
izine change in the public service.
. We BIZ no means plead for the teten-
OF the entire present civil service, army;
but il we are to put in practice the new
reform doctrines, it is essential that we
begin radically at once, and wherever
faithful, capable and honest men are in
the public service, keep them. Now We
presume It ID fair to say that two.thirds,
| Il NOT fiye.sixths Of the present office,
holding class are doing their work well
and satisfactory, and that: to turn them
tout and put in new and inexperienced
men would be d great Inconvenience
to the country and heavy loss to its
treasury, while 1t would throw away the
present favorable state Of public. opin-
ion for placing the public service on an
Improved footing. President Hayes
would find abundant field for change In
conspicuous. cases Of incompetency and
corruption in tho government service:
| He could not fail to improve them
promptly and efficiently. But he could
easily stop there, as President Tilden
with his, surroundings, with his obliga-
lions, hardly could do.
It Is in these two respects-the associa-
ton with him OF the most conspicuous
and trusted reform elements Of the coun-
try, and, second, the greater ease with
which he could enforce the new civil SER
vice reform-that Governor Hayes has
his conspicuous advantages az q reform
cdAd;dotn ovar Govafnor 1ilden In
some other respects, the advantage is per-
haps reversed. In most others there is
little to choose, from the independent
and liberal point Of view; but these argu-
ments in favor OF Governor Hayes seem
to us clear and impressive, and while 1t
| is by no means certain that they will be
sufficient to decide the election in favor
Of Governor Hayes, it is manifest that
they are already deciding in his favor a
majority Of the more reflective and the
more independent Of the reform vote Of
the country.