Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-06-29

mon destiny. Reform is necessary 10 the civil
service Experience proves that al efficient
and economical conduct of the governmental
business is not possible il its civil service be
subject to change at every election; De prize
fought for at the ballot box; be brief reward
of party zeal, instead OF posts OF honor, assign
ed for proved competency aud held for fidelity
in the public employ that the dispensing of
patronage should neither be q tx upon the
time oil all our public men, DOR the Instrument
of their ambition. Here again professions taI
si6cd 10 the performance attest that the party
in power Can work out 90 practical or sslutary
REFORM Reform is necessary, even more 10 the
higher grades of public scrvlce--Presldent,
Vice Pr sideut, Judges Senator's, Il prcsena-
tiyes aud Cabinet officers These aud all others
in authority are the people servants. Their
uffc are not private peIquSlte. They are
a public trust. When the annals OF this re-
public show the disgrace and censure OF a Vice
PresiIeDI late Speaker Of tae House OF Rep
r,senta;ivcs marketing his Rulings as presid-
ing officer; three Senator's protting secretly by
their votes as law makers; five chalrmen rt the
leading committees OF the late House Of Rep
rescDtalivcs exposed III jobbery; late Seer
tarv of the Treasury forcing balances in The
public accounts; late Attorney General mis-
appropriatug public iuuds; Secretary oil the
Navy enriched or eul .cf ng friends by percent
ages levied off the profits of contractors with
his Department. 40 ambassador to E0gand
cansured in a dishoDorabie spccualou; the
| Presidents private secretary barely escaping
conviction upon trial for guilty completely 10
! frauds upon the rcvenu'; a Secretary OF War
| impcached for high crimes and confessed mis-
! demcanors. The demonstration Is complete
that the first step in reform must be the people $
choice of honest men from auolher party, lest
the disease OF one political orgarzaton iutest
the body polltic and thereby m;khg 90 change
OF meu or party, We can get 40 change OF
measures ADD 90 reform. All these abuses,
wrouys and crimes the product Of sixteen
years scendaucy OF the Republican party, create
necessity for reform confessed by Republicans
themselves, but their rcformcrs arc voted down
in convention and displaced irom the Cabinet.
The pariy's mass Of honest voters is powereSs
10 resist the $4,000 ufice holders, its leaders
and guides. Il iorm ca; Gully be hal by peacc.
full civic revolution, We demand a change OF
system, change of Administration, change
| of parties, that VIC may have change OF mea-
sures AID OF men.
! The reading was frequently Interrupted by
! applause. The dcnuacatlon OF the re,ump
ton act and dcmaOd Tor lis repeal was recelVcd
with especial favor. AT the conclusion Mr..
! Dorshcimer said the committee bad adopted
aud indorscd, though not as part OF the plat
|, form, in the resolution which he read, the ac
tion OF the House OF Representatives 10 cutting
down appropriations, and cxhored TO hrnntsi.
Also, a resolution as to the just claims OF SOL
diers, sailors, aDi widows and orphans.
Nlr. Ewing Of OHIO, took the platform, and
said that at the request OF several members oil
the convention he presented the minority re-
port, recon mending striking out the toIloWlnE
clause in the m-jorlty report to wit: As
such hindrance, we deuouuce the resumptIon
clause of the ACT of 1875 aud we demaud It's
rcueaI." He proposed TO substitute therefor
Tie following words: The law for the resump
ton .; specie payment on The lst day OF Janu
ary. 1879, bavag been enacted by The R.pub'
iicao patty withru. debcration in Congress
and without dScu ,si0o before the people, and
being bo:h u.tf4ctua 10 secure It's object and
highly Injurious to the tu,ln' IS o! the country
should be forthwith repealed
Mr.. Esog moved, aud Dir. Eaton, Of Kan
pas, seconded, that the ameuIm ut thus sug
gcstcd DC made.
Mr.. Ewing proceeded to state the objection
to the uau~c propyL ID 10 be stricken ou'. l.
denounced only Que clause nt the resumption
act, that one fixing the time Tor assumptions
thus, By implication, icavl"g all tn, rest tc
staad as unn1jrctlonahle. The CONSTRUCTOR
rivep to this viii b. that the Democratic party
wants resumption earlier than 1879. Another
obi ion Is that INC resolution as reported pal
tiers with the que-ipn Of which it treats Ii
c2mr;iits the party to reduction Of greenback:
and pcrpetuation Of the national bank SYSTEM
leaves the Secretary Of the Treasury perhaps
with the power to issue gold bonds awaiting The
day Of Resumption, polio, which the Western
democracy almost unanimously oppose. InC
r. s3iutlan of the Committee supports, by i'm
phcation, bill for which the democrats arc DOT
RESPONSIBLE; a mea sure which never received 4
democratic vot2.
Timc Was called aod much confusion en-
sued in cous quence of cfJrls TO secure more
time for Mr.. Ewins.
The chair ruled that az objection Was made
the time could net be extended.
MIR Drshcimer appealed for the withdrawal
of the objection, and it was withdrawn, aud by
unanimous consent Ewing Was au;hoIiz a to
proceed. Another scene Of confusion cnsu"d
McL.ne, Of MI, renewed the pbj:c!iou to
hearing Ewiog further. Finally, Ewing thank
ed the convention for the kindly spirit maui-
tested toward him, aud said he wGuld trouble
them no further. lCres oil "Ew'nE Or
de, !" "Ordcr!"
Mr. Cox, of New York, rose to point Of
order, in which he was understood 10 reject on
the Chair ior avvrtism, and was called to order
by the Chair, aud directed to take bis seat.
Mr.. Dorsheimer said he proposed right here
to make straight issue between hard and soft
money. Applause. BY that VIC will staDd
| or fall. II y.u want soft money, give your
votes 10 lis most distinguished advocate but if
you want to give US any show to carry the hard
money States. stand by the platform as pre-
seutcd. Applause. This is a compromise
in which the East has yielded SO much as to
have already elected strong protest, runner.
ously sgoed by the Eastern States. Gu this
We stand or fail. If ycu adopt the amendment
OF the gentleman from Ohio then good bye to
your hopes. The committee s report, however,
gives Us living chance Of success L. con-
clusou, he demanded the call Of the States on
the question.
Nj. Voorhees, of Indiana, took the platform.
He said Dorsheimer issue vas false issue as
nl,or E ND