The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-02-25
TIE moor or THE TROUBLE
wAsuycrov Feb. i6-Almost an oh


like to dwell to-day misunderstood, abused,
ridiculcd and positively hated by many, apprc-
cinted in its great importance but by few.
speak Of the necessity Of q radical change
and reform in our system Of civil service.
propose to show the direct connection OF this
subject with the present Presidential difficulty;
nay. that the whole difficulty Is largely. If not
entirely, attributable to our civil service. and
that hut for this there would have scarcely been
any difficulty or disturbance whatever. pro-
pose to show that but for this, Samuel j. Til
denis election would have boon as quickly and
universally recognized as that OF Jefferson.
The ship that has just passed through "A terri
bic gale and barely escaped utter disaster is apt
b. need repairs.
The person who. after long confinement. has
just left his sick chamber where, under the very
shadow Of death he naturally INDUCED in self
contemplation and n retrospective review Of his
life. is apt to have discovered errors in the past
and resolved 10 improve in the future.
A country emerging from the fearful danger
OF another civil commotion. and undergoing the
sevcrcst test that probably sclf-goyernment WIS
over put to-a double test Of scf-govcrnment, as
1t involved each citizen individually as well us
the complicated science Of Government for
forty-nvc millions Of peoples apt to have de-
rived moral from the danger and lesson
from the critical test.
This lesson and this moral should be change
of our system Of civil service.
Why is il that there is not Il single Republican
Of any prominence whatever who has ~ yet nd
mittod that Mr. Tildcn was fairly and legally
elected? Why is it that there il not single Re-
publican newspaper that has admitted thisf
Why is II that every Republican paper insists
that Hayes was elected and the whole party
sing the same chorus? Why IL It that the party
| is practically more united and harmonious than
! at any time during the last five ycarsp Why Is
IL that men like Evarts Matthews. Halstcad,
Schurz. &C.. and journals like the Chicago T'ib-
,tne the Cincinnati COMMERCIAL &c for years
most violent in their opposition to the Grant
regime and the whole Republican party should
now bo equally violent in their support Of the
same partyi
Tho answer il: Tho cohesive power OF public
plunder If the former Liberals are now
more Jealous than the EXTREMIST partisans, it
is because they are much more hungry for Of
flee, Grant having kept them from the public
crib 50 long. and Hayes promising. at least, the
| possibility of Il new deal.
But 10 from state 70 state from county to
county, cit 10 city, village 10 VILLAGE Wh'rr Is
the first indication that tn" rank ana III" Of the
Republican pnrty do not really follow and be-
lirve their leaders in the claim that Hayes
should ho installed in the White House. Now. a
certain degree Of causf for this strange spe,tn-
Gle may he found in Intense sectional prcJu-
dice, an Ithlr iu.partisanship, stlil another in
the dullnoss, gullihity. or stupidity OF IN" pco-
pie; but the chief cause Is again the cohesive
power of pilhiic plumber.
When Morton and Garfield and Sherman first
revealed the rpu-prHcy to count IN Hayes
through the yire-Prrsidcnt, through 50 mon
struus a violation Ot all law ana precedent 80
fatal am innovation that il would have been all
Solutcly equal tu TIA" ~uhycrsion Of our Govern
m"nt. and tine destruction of the KcpubliG-wus
there single Republican prvies was there "a
| tn" execution of that revolutionary programmed
Was there throughout the whole land n single
Republican Of prominence, or Onc. even, with
out prominence. who dared To denQunee this
Evolutionary scheme Not one And why
Because of the cohesive power Of public plum
derl
According 10 official records we have lO2 900
oncchoidcrs. OF persons VINO depend upon the
Government for their living or their salary
one hundred and two thousand menl What an
army. what an accumulation OF seli-lntcrcsi
whiti an ugssraVation OF ambition what a con-
centration Of need and greed and energy and
effort for self erlt-s"lf! one hundred AMI two
Thousand persons depending uuun "A Govern
mHut-no. not Government. bat a party or u
Prosidcntl one hundred and two thousand
mon stake position. ambition. the future n moi
their very existence, upon the succt - Of one
mani l. 1t "a wonder tiai these men should
have naturally favored Alr. Morons plan TO PUT
Mr.. Hayes through, cost what II mayf And
Mnai was II again but me cohesive power ol
| public plunderI
But there comes Hope land who Is without II ~
and with her Ambition (and who should not have
~. and behind them AN army ol at least a mill
ion. with eyes fixed upon the ono hundred
hand. but In their absence ! think II no eXag-
geraton 10 say that for each place under the
Government there are at lcust ten aspirants
that Is ten persons, whose political actions and
thoughts and feelings must necessarily b,
strongly influenced hy their hopes ana amhi.
tous. their -hrs and their Interests. And AZ al
d these depend primarily upon the election 81 on
man. We see the great army of place holders an,
asplrant- already augmented la the nIuGniii 'en
pruportlons Of one million and two hundrc,
Thousand men, Think of the hops and i,nr-
the activity and energy, tho necessities and a -
prations the various interests Of all IN, =,
q people involved in the election of one mantle
| | President, And think how they are united as
one booty hy one aim and purpose, hy the co.
. ! he-ive power ot public plumber!
| Aid To- this another element, that NJ the i'm
4 mensc patronage i'm the way of innr- ano
1 financial disbursements OF IN" Government
' which cost every y,ar about three % four nun
a drrd millions. Add e. this aghin The Immense
= power of railroad, bank, telegraph, ana oth'
81 corporations, whose various luinr SIS may h'
favored by the Government, ANA We may wei
' paus"to consider the Gigantic array 81 Interests
! and influences, and power that are directly IN
D. VOWED IN the government, or, rather, the Al
rinlStration. or, better still the purity that sue
e goods IN rlerting the l'rsid'nt; \ slghuti
. array, indeed. and all animated 10y one spirl
and cen"nicd ny one grand Iualiiy cone
slye power on puhl' pun "! ,,.,,,