The Indiana State sentinel., 1876-08-30

When Gen. Logan wanted The
collector at hicago turned adrtft. because he
would not Join Orville Grant in his whisky
frauds, and in order to make room for one OF
his political henchmen, the President was his
humble servant The postmaster at the city Of
who believe was faithful officer,
was dismissed to make room for a man who
had been driven out Of the Eouse OF Repre-
sentatlves for fraud Tom Murphy, one OF The
covered al over with his rascali-
ties as with a garment, and with neither
brains nor knowledge enough TO fit him for
collector OF the porI of the city OF New York,
one of the most lucrative and politically po-
tential positions under the government, and
Moses II. Grinnell, an honest and capable
man, was sent into retirement as fnrther IL
lustraiion OF civil service reform. Ard when
the popular pressure became so p0-tenJous as
to compel Murphy to resign, the president
"vind Gated" him by a letter complimenting
him on the ability and fanhfulness with
which lie had discharged the duties OF his high
office, whiI- Leet and Stocking, who had been
cheaIiDg public justice, were still pluL oenDg
the merchants OF New York, in spite Of their
protests and In defiance OF pubic opinion. In
lS72, the Office OF collector In New Orleans was
held, as IL is now, by brother-in-law Casey,
who brought out his "Gatling guns" to aid
for his party, and who was convicted
of bribery and corruption by a con-
gressional committee of his own polite
friends who subsequently reported the facts
to the president anu demanded his removal,
which demand was never complied with.
Civil service reform found an apt illustration
in the performances of Powell Clayton ot Ar
kansas. AS remember the facts, he pack ed
the Legislature of that state by corrupt means
with his tools. who in turn packed him into the
United states Senate; bat when the grand
Jury of that district indicted him for political
corruption, and thus invited his attention to
the hospitalities OF the penitentiary, the pres
ident, wishing TO vindicate" his friend, re-
moved the marshal and district attorney
through whose agency the Indictments were
supposed TO have been found, and appointed q
nj nf - In nj ar w n
non pressed the indictment, by which the dis
tinguished senator was allowed to csc tpe JUS
tice and To devote his political activity" to
the reelection of mis- patron and friend. Sec
retary Robeson took $685. 900 of your money
from the u easury, and paid IL on false claim
to a rascal named Secor, without authority
of law, and was excused on the score OF
his "good inteDtions;" while Secretary Cox
had been driven from the cabinet for
refusing 70 prostitute his office to political
purposes. Postmaster General CTeswel tried
with all his might TO take from the treas
ury S44 f,tCO and pay IL TO Chorpenning on
claim for carrying the malls in
The president approved his con-
duct, aud his political activity" on the
stump, for his reelection. The president es
poused the San Domingo swindle, and per-
sonally assisted Gen. Babcock, the negotiator
and rtngleader Of the pr. ject, IN lobbying for
IL in the Senate; and although the country
with singular unanimity condemned IL, and
compelled its abandonment, Charles Sumner,
for performing his simple duty In opposing it,
was driven from his chair mans ship OF the COM
mittee on foreign relations, and simon Cam
eron, who was turned out of LlncOln'S cabi
net during the war on account of his corrupt
completely with army contracts. and dis
graced BY q vote OF the House OF Representa-
lives, who ha had q national reputation as &
for nearly a quarter OF a century,
and was as Ignorant of our foreign al
fairs as he was innocent OF con-
science was made Summers successor, while
the distinguished senator from Massach1 sets
and the fore most public character in the ma
ton, was still further degraded by the offer OF
a place at the tail of the committee on educa-
tiOn aud labor, with Flanagan of Texas at its
head! civil service reform! Why, gentlemen
Carl 5churZ told US four years ago that he had
seen foreign minister 10 Washington hunt
ing the government S a man hunts tor q lost
child, or a horse stray ed or stolen. 1t was not
at home. 1t was over at Long Branch, looking
hf,er the business Of horse racing, or down IN
Carolina stumping or Grant, or out West with
DelaHo In It's fatherly concern for land grants
and Indian affairs. IL am not mistaken, all
the cabinet ministers, except Belknap, who
was probably " ry busy with his post trader
ships, were on the stump in 1871, electioneer-
ing for their chiefsand 10 keep their bread but
ISn tns esI o Jeer
son and Adams, had been heaping honoTs and
emoluments upon his poor kin, and accepting
presents OF fine houses and tempting largesses
In money from men unknown To fame, who
were paid OF in fat place.. Such is the del c.
table and highly favored feast TO which the
Liberal Rspubl cans OF 1872 were invited and
when they turned away from 1t In sorrow and
unutterable disgust, and asserted their inde-
pendence, they were everywhere denounced
by The leaders OF Grantism as political apOs-
tates and rebels. Senator Morton branded
Ho ace Greedy as a trai or, secretly in league
with Con iederate traitors OF the South, aud
ulterio- purpose OF undoing the work of the
war, re-establishing slavery, and fastening
upon the nation the rebel debt. And the po-
grave pursued Sumner, and Trumbull, and
their CO. laborers with the same hungry and
unslumbering political We nom and personal
malice. In the many political contests in
which have been engaged, whether in the
early times of the abolitiOnists or during tine
fierce passio excited by the civil war, can
recall nothing which exceeds the unmixedr n
cor and unDridled snimOsi'y which 1nsp red
the Republican leaders tour years ago in their
treatment of the men who Iebelled against
the party lash In Oruer % save their own hon.
or and self respect. And yet they did not
burn the bridges behind them. The way was
left open Tor their reunion with their old par
ty friends, whenever the party itself should
turn It's back upon the organized roguery
which had captured 1t: and | am quite sure
that ninety mine hundredths of the Liberal
Republicans of the United States would to-day
have been found battling in the ranks of Re-
publlcsnism, IL the party within the past four
democrats who had become its recognized
l. aders, and proved itself sincere to iLs de-
mand for reform. Has this saving work been
accom- plished? This IL the next uestion TO
be Considered in The discussion upon which l
have entered.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM DURING THE PAST
FOUR YEARS.
To ask thiv question il to answer IL. But in
the interest OF explicitness and particularly let
us give 1t our attention and, In dealing with
1t, let us remember Senator Morton's declara-
ton three or four years ago, that ''ours is the
b. st civil service ON the planet" and his as
seztion a few days since that ali things con-
sidered, the present is the purest and best ad-
ministration this country ever had" What
are the actual facts which supply the COM
mentary upon these perfectly astoundiD z state
ments? IL can OF be denied that soon alter
the la t inauguration civ service became q
mole glaring uolltical mOckery than ever be-
fore. The enforcement OF the rules, framed Dy
event, while thsir suspension was the order of
the day. Governor Holden OF North Caro- olina,
who was impescbed. convicted and rendered
postmaster at the capita OF that state Sharpe
hrrt ar-ir,-Ia. ~ x,..ariIa...at