Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-10-31

or assessments, if any like the term
better. between 5000 and $1,000.
But with the proclamation OF Hayes
as President came the announcement
that no more political assessments
would be allowed, and not , dollar
Of the sum due would be collected.
BY hard work it was reduced by
what turned out TO be empty nrQmis-
es to $4,000, those to whom It y9ns due
offered liberal discount, ard gain
that "machine man." Zacll.- Ohandler,
stepped in, and the day he left Wash-
ington gave his personal check for
$3, GOO, after having failed In inducing
the Cabinet to help the committee out
Of trouble. This recital willlindicate
what large class among active re-
pnblicans here have in mind when
they listen to discussions upon the
entire disestablishment OF the ma
chine. They think, under the cir
cumstanccs, and considering the ex-
tent Of the benefit and the main re-
cipients of the results secured by it,
that the reform was rather too sud
den, and much like finding an ex-
press train under full headway on q
wrong track, and stopping y by eff
fectually blocking the road with rock,
lest it should do some damage fur
ther along.
THE OPPONENTS OF THE cIvIL sERvIcE
ORDER
TO office holders probably form the
largest division Of the pArtyArrayed
against the President on any one
point of his policy. There are many
who heartily approve of the object he
sought to attain but here again they
think he has adopted an extreme in
terpretation, as in the case of giving
a universal and unmerited sweep to
the meaning of the terms "carpet
baggers7 and "machine politics. -
But there are a large number who
saw a broad and proper distinction
between disestablishing the machine,
and practically sweeping the. party
organization out Of existence on the
threshold of most important cam.
paign. Neither did they see the JUS
tice, the right, or the expedicncy OF
disfranchising q large, and in the
main, an honest body Of Office holders.
They seem to regard this remedy for
the disease Of the body polite much
as they would suggestion to cut off
the head as cure for disagreeable
and unwholesome eruptions.
There are very few earnest civil
service reformers in Congress, and
only two in the Cabinet, or, 10 be
more accurate, only two Of this par
ticular class in the Administrations
The opposition to the President in
this most important and vital matter
comes from outside of Congress. It
is, however, strong, earnest and ag-
gressive, and the indications are that
unless the President mends his ways
it will speedily develop strength
throughout the country. Thus far
the proclamations of reform have
been accepted by the public as mean
ing exactly what their language inn
plies. Those who have looked be-
meath the surface here have been
growing rapidly sick at heart at the
wide difference between promise and
practice. They represent most in
fluential body within the Republican
party, and their active life and con-
tinued devotion to vigorous and prac-
tical reform will endure and gather
strength whether this Administrator
rises to the level Of promises and its
great opportunities, or, failing to full
fill the first, falls short Of the last.
III, v. b.