Daily Kennebec journal., 1877-04-26
A "Reform" Organ Neatly Basted.

Sir - Civil Service Reform IS matter not
merely of temporary but Of permanent interest
Before the election its discussion necessarily took
on partisan and political character. Now that
the election is passed and its decision enforced,
we may look at questions dispassionstely, trying
to discern what is best for the honor and prosper-
" Of the country without dwelling too much on
It's possible effects upon either of the great polit
cal parties. Ny treatment of this theme, so wide
in its scope so immediate and SO important IN ITS
results, is suggested TO me by that eminent ana
eloquent apostle Of civil service reform, the Ma
tion. In its remarks upon the Hayes ratihcation
meeting in Boston in the summer of 1876, 1t
affirmed that if reformers are going to make an
impression on the public mind they must do what
the anti slavery men did-when they hear Of an
abuse examine it and lay 1t before the world IN an
authentic shape, with such details as may be
necessary to make its danger and mischievousness
and dishonesty plain. AT the meeting
. Mr.. Forbes referred to much of the re-
cent talk about reform as having degenerated into
sander. Now we think all
. who at this crisis say this sort of thing
ought to assist the people by detailed examna-
ton of the facts, giving us an instance
of reform talk which has "degenerated into slan-
der"
This is a demand which is not only reasonable,
but greatly wise. General charges are easyto make
and difficult if not impossible, to refute They
weaken public confidence without stimulating
tendency TO Improvement. That broad historical.
philosophical, and political discussion of civil
service reform which the subject admits
and which the time demands / do not propose
to attempt; but the humber and narrower yet
equally useful work pointed out by he Nation
may be shared by any one who knows the differ
ence between truth and falschood-l might almost
say who knows that there is difference between
truth and falsehood
In following the suggestion Of the Nation,
shall draw upon the past rather than upon the
present for examples, because wish to illustrate
and serve civil service reform. 1t is desirable.
therefore, to avoid as far as possible such imham
mable material as present issues, which would be
likely to draw the attention away from the point
in question to personal and heated considerations.
My iii st instance OF "reform talk which has de
generated into SANDER" shall quote from the col
umns OF the Nation. In its official account of the
Cincinnati Convention, in its issue OF June p,
1876 three weeks before its call for reformatory
SANDER it sfirms that after listening to the speech
Of Col. Ingersoll--or "Bob" lngersoll as the Ma
ton calls him.-lt was almost painful to hear that
the government has preferred, or is about to pre-
fer, charges against MIR. lngersol for certain
fraudulent practices connected with the revenue,
or, as il was picturesquely put by leading Bris-
tow editor, that -Four State prisons are yawning
for him
Several points in this statement will not escape
the notice Of the close observer. Mr.. Ingersoll
was lawyer, and had obtained all his distinction
at the bar. How could he have tampered with the
revenue, even if he had been so disposed Again,
to auy one but professional reiormer, it would
seem not almost but altogether painful that man
IN the prime Of life OF apparent usefulness and
honor, with ability to cnchain the attention and
arouse the enthusiasm of an assembly of 1000
men should be criminal, detected, and awaiting
trial and punishment. There is q certain vague
ness in the statement. He is indicted is about
to be indicted. 1t reminds one of the fond and
foolish mamma's boast that Augeline had received
great many ofiers-or attentions that might have
led TO offers The picturesqueness of "the lead
ing Brlstow editor Is artistic and characteristic,
but not convincing The one weapon of that pc
culiar moral movement called by the Reformers
"Bristowsm," was the State prison. OF srgu-
ment, OF history, of principle, of sogacty, of
faithful. and intelligent transaction OF its own bus
iness, or Of honorable warfare with honorable
foes, it had chldke innocence. If it would
clap man into the State prison, it was on the
solid earth. But with all who were above the
State prison level, it was entirely at sea. Conse
quenty its imperious instinct was to begin by
bringing its opponents down 10 that level. 1t was
like the jolly quack doctor who, for whatever dis
ease he was summoned, always proceeded first to
throw his patient into fits; because, he frankly
svowed, he did not know much about other dis
eases, but he was death on fits 1t is therefore
quite in the nature of things that "a leading Bris
tow editor" should take refuge from Col. Inger-
soils eloquence and effectiveness behind the fa-
miar wall of State prison. Nor considering the
overpowering qualities Of that eloquence ard the
brilliant national reputation which the orator has
since gained, am prepared to say that "the Bris-
tow editor was extravagant in furnishing even
four State prisons to meet the emergency. Ii
seemed an undue allowance at the time, but
events have shown that i, fell far below the re-
quirements OF the case, since all four signally
| tailed TO put shame upon a single word uttered by
Col. lngersoll on that memorable day. But "Bris-
| towism" had not prepared one to see the Nation
adopt incarceration as political argument. But
still as have intimated, these points would be
visible only to close observers. The ordinary
reader would simply that the nominator of one
of the candidates at the Cincinnati Convention,
the man whose words produced the most powerful
effect both upon the convention and upon the
country, was culprt, already clutched by the
laws which he was eloquently extolling and which
he had wantonly violated. A week later, in the
Nation of June 20, an earnest remonstrant from
Mr. lngersol.'s own State protests to the Nation
That the, c is not man of more scrupulous hon.
esty on earth than Robert G. Ingersoll; that in
private life his record is without rel eproach that he
has the full confidence and admiration of all who
know him, whatever their politics or religion.
Here is something of discrepancy The re-
| monstrant admits that he at first thought some
one had been guilty of deliberate slander, and it
certainly looks like it. The "leadng Bristow ed.
itor" and the Nation reports that Mr.. Ingerso is
| a thief for whom four State prisons are yawning
His neighbor reports him to be knight without
| fear and without repfoach. This discrepancy is
matter of fact, hot of opinion. When the same
Nation that saw in Col. lngersoll a thief, looked
upon "the Bristow lobby at the same convention.
II saw therein "a sadly honest-ooking body of
men," But this is a matter Of opinion, an opinion
too with which most of us would heartily agree
Tor the honesty of = "Bristow lobby" must be a
very sad sort of honesty indeed. When the Ma
ton remarks that the Bristow lobby was 1.-THE only
body having anything TO do with the convention
10 whom any considerable number of gentlemen,
in the strict sense of the word, were to be found"
that also is matter Of opinion in which would
dissent from the Nation with great diffidence.
Certainly no one seems to be more actively and
perseverngly occupied with the business of being
gentleman than our umpire. He wrestes vio-
lently with his grammar, and though the relative
prononns often throw him the grapple is none the
less manly. One Lever fails to admire the 'body
In whom" he finds his gentlemen, nor the zeal
with which be poured forth his glowing panegy-
rlc OF man whom he knew had not the remotest
chance of being nominated" Where there is a
will there i, way, and the Nations laudable ad-
mration of gentlemen and strict attention to bus
ness must one day be crowned with success and
reduce its warring relatives to perfect harmony
But whether man is or is not indicted for theft
and liable to the State prison is a matter of fact,
not determinabe by the grammar 1t is also a
matter of such grave import that one would sup
pose that reformers who believe first, last, and all
the time 10 character, who "tried to push the for
tunes Of their candidate by appeals to the desire