The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-08-03
Preaching VS.. Practice.

The Democratic party is shouting Gre
FORM" Reform" Mr.. Tilden uses the
magic word in nearly every sentence. Con-
gresham Randall shouts it and keeps his
grab of salary. Fernando Wood remarks
that it is necessary when he moves to cut
down the army. Every man in the st. Louis
Convention went frantic with the charmed
word-and whiskey. The Wisconsin dele
gate who as treasurer of his county is now
absent without leave and ,uith $4,000 of
the public funds, shouted reform. Oakley
Hall and the non-exiled remnant of the
Tweed Ring are coupling the word with Til
den. Jake Thompson, the last Democratic
Secretary of the Interior, and ''always
Democrat" reflects upon the several mil
lions of Indian trust funds with which he
''lit out'' when his friends undertook to
break up the government-and exclaims Gre
form is necessary" The Nasbys are pining
for reform-and post Office. This is ''beauti-
full preaching;;" now for the practice.
The present House of Representatives is
Democratic body. No one will question that
act. Indeed, two-thrds of its members are
Democrats. A party never had a better
opportunity TO undertake reforms-in the
currency, the sources of revenue and the gen.
eral administration of affairs. But we will
pass by these topics because the Democratic
House passed them by long since.
If there is any one thing which the Demo-
Gratis denounce more savagely than another
it is the character of civil service the Repub-
licans have employed. Consequently when the
Democrats secured majority of the House,
the public had a right to expect that some of
this magnificent preaching would be carried
into actual practice-that its members would
crafty the country with a corps of officials
conspicuous for their efficiency and high
character-that on small scale, we should
have an example of what Democratic ad-
minstration would do should it control every
branch of the Government. What has been
the result?
If civil service reform means the turning
out of office all who were in, the Demo.
cratic House has achieved it. If it means
the replacing of Union soldiers-many Grip
pied for life-with Confederate soldiers, the
Democratic House has rendered itself illus
trious. If civil service reform implies the
placing of ignorant, inefficient and in many
instances dishonest men in positions of re-
sponsibility, as reward for political services
which were filled by accomplished and expe-
rienced men, then the Democratic House
has been sgnally successful.
But to be more explicit. Mr.. Kerr, the
Speaker, is good man but he is not the
presiding officer of'the House to any extent.
| His clerk is an ex-Confederate. Mr.. Adams,
| the clerk, has been under fire. He was
charged with lobbying to prevent reduction
of his salary. The Committee have passed
over the charge lightly although Ad-
| ans admits in a way that he did so.
| Fitzhugh was thought to be fit for door.
| keeper because he lad acted in that capacity
in the Confederate Congress. He proved q
| nuisance aud was turned out because he
( wrote silly but doubtless honest letter. He
was at the time of his elevation to the office
under several indictments. Mr.. Thompson,
another official chosen by the House, claimed
recognition for valuable party services in
Ohio. Last fall this Thompson the night
after the election in that state te,egraphed
the chairman of the Democratic State Com
mittee to know if zone thousand votes would
do them any good" He managed Dem
ocratic county and proposed if necessary tt
make false return. The Engineer, Ellison
is under various charges of a criminal charac