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

destruction of that odious sort of an
office holding aristocracy. Besides
the idea that letter-carrler or a
Custom House officer or revenue
agent or a department clerk will be-
come member of an aristocracy if
left in oifice as long as he behaves
himself well has something so intense
~ ludicrous that it need scarcely be
discussed. We might as well speak
of an aristocracy of railroad conduc-
tors or hotel waters.
GOV. TILDEN7s PRETENsIoNs.
Now, let US see what promise of
civil service reform the Democratic
candidate, Gov. Tilden, holds out to
US. In order to be perfectly fair to
him, | will quote the whole text OF
that part of his letter which refers to
that subject. When you
have read this somewhat elaborate
paragraph and pondered over it a
while, you still ask yourselves, how
far does he mean to go, and where
does he moan to stop :! There is
plenty Of well-expressed criticism
but what's the tangible, specific thing
ne means to do The difference
between these utterances and those
contained in Gov. Hayes letter is
striking and significant. There are
none of the precise, clean-cut, sharp
ly-defned propositions put forth by
Gov. Hayes, indicating how the
spoils system, with its demorallzng
influences, is to be eradicated, and
what is to be put in its place. When
we try to evolve from this mountain
of words the practical things which |
Gov. Tilden promises to do, we find
that they consist simply in The ap-
pointment of new men, according ID
an elevated standard" whatever |
that may be, and in holding officers
to account for their doings, OF course.
When the offices are filled with new
men superfuous offices are wisely"
to be cut off, and finally the ''patlent
and careful organization Of better
civil service system is to be proceeded
with under the tests, whenever prac-
ticable, of proved competency and
fidelity" 1t seems, then, when we
boil it all down and | think | am
doing Gov. Tilden's language no
violence in saying so -that, first, the |
offices are to be filed with good Dem
ocrats in the way of "clean sweep
and "new deal of the spoils," aud |
that afterward it shall be patiently |
and carefully considered how and
where "tests of proven competency |
and fidelity" can be established, so
as to fill the offices for the Democrats,
the spoils for the vlctors,"
Does any candid man pretend that it
means anything else? Gov. Tllden
is profusc writer, having an infinite |
assortment of words at his command. |
If he meant anything else, would he |
not have been able to say so IN a
precise form of expression For
the shorr alusion to subsequent sys-
tematic reform, to be patiently and
carefully" approached, is even more
studiously vague and shodowy than
the many paragraphs in party plat
forms, with the valuelessness OF
which we have in the course of time
become so justly Disguised.
Is Gov Tilden the man, in case of
his election, TO constitute himself a
breakwater against the universal ten
dency, the unanimous, impatient will
of his party Or is there, | ask you
candidly, and especially those of my
independent friends, who, although
animated with the desire OF genuine
reform, are inclined to aid Demo
Gratis. is there in the Democratic par
ty any influential clement that would
urge Democratic President TO ad-
vance thorough measures of civil SER
vice reform in non partisan sense,
or that would earnestly support him
if he did? If there exists such an IN
fuential element where is it2 Is 1t
in the rich mems Manhattan Club, or
in Tammauy Hall or Anti Famany
in New York, among the Swallow
tails" or "short-hairs?" Or is 1t
among the old State rights Demo
carts East and West? Or among the
Confederates in the South? Or the
Irish population or the Roman Cath
Ollie Democrats gen orally? If there
is 10 any section of the Democratic
party any desire for genuine reform
of the civil service, anything but q
demand fos a now deal of the spoils,
show it to me. And now
will Gov. Tilden if elected, without
support in bis own party. at the risk
of his popularity with bis own friends
brace himself up against the furlou"
onset Of be hungry patriots and say,
"The interests Of the service, the
cause of reform, demand that the Of
fees of the Government be longer
looked upon as spoiIs of party victo-
nv. | shall, therefore keep IN office
all faithful and efficient officers, no
matter whether they are Republicans
and turn out only the unworthy
ones. Go home, my Democratic
friends, that | may judiciously dis
criminate at leisure? Or that be
will tell democratic Congressman,
"The principles on which the civil
service is to be reformed demand
that | should not permit any Con
gressionsl interference with the re-
sponsibilities of the appointing pow
er; therefore put your recommends
tions of your friends in your pockets,
and let me alone my good follow
Democrats? What man in his five
senses expects Gov. Tilden to do
this? Has he ever promised any
thing of the kind? Certainly be has
not. Is he not too inveterate Dem
ocrat, and too closely welded to the
traditions of his party, even to think
of III
Well, then, what sort of reform will
be brought about by Democratic
victory? | assume even that Gov.
Tilden and the men he may put into
his Cabinet will sincerely desire to
put only the best available Demos
Gratis into office, and will employ ev>
cry honest effort to that end. Bat