The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-09-28
4nl,nmllil Dispatttll.
FRIpAY SEPTEMBER IS, 1877.
Mr.. Conkling.

UNFORTUNATE" has gone to his doom. CoSN-
I'm, Is dead. His movement In the New
York Republican Convention presses the
nautical life out OF him. He risks his ma
fional fame upon the miserable light for the
oSace-holders. No man aspiring to the
presidency can afford to rest his ambition
upon that dirty foundation. 1t will assureoiy
tumble him into the miry gutter OF party. !.
Mr. CoNKL1Na approached the snosec. OF
c,y;lseryice reform indirectly. There was
/. lacr o, frankness and bravery In nis ACT.
His plea was unworthy Of pettifoggel. ne
asserted that no employer, whether IN pusl-
nesa or pol;tical life, had right to exciuae
h;a employes from participation in pofiticai
affairs. His premises are wfopS' anu 50
,,,,st be his conclusions. Every empower
h,s right to make it condition with bis
.mn,oye that he shall not be active In poll
tics. shall not attend ward or county-me
inrs that may interfere with his work.
either in taking him off in working hours
or causing fatigue from devoting hours OF
rest to political agitation. The employer
clearly has this right.
But Mr.. CoSKLlSG applies the assumed
rights in the case put by him to the author
ity OF the President. The cases are alto
gether dissimilar. The President is the adj
ministrator OF public affairs, and he ism duty
bound to maintain in his administration
and all its ramifcations, as far as he can,
LOYALTY TO the whole country and to public
duty. II he were to allow the employees
under him to become politicians he would
omen the way TO corruption and abuse that
would lead to the employment OF the means
as we'll as the men in Government service
in advancing the cause Of party and ia
cilitating the election OF favorite OF the
Administration. That would not only De
prolific OF corruption, but would be an out
rage upon that part Of the public which OPP
posed the candidate and party sustained
by the ofice.holders. No honest Presi-
dent can tolerate such q thing. He would
be bound to prohibit it as President HAYES
has done to his enduring honor. Dir.
CoNKI1SG eensures him for this, and 1t Is
plain Dir. CoSKL1NG could not upon the
question of civil service make an honest
President.
Mr.. CoSKI1SG evidently considers the
Administration in the light OF the SEM
Mover" and as such the representative OF
the nation in its ruling power. He thinks
evidently that the officer in being an active
politician is only serving the nation. A
deIusiye idea. The Administration Is bound
nv oath and by law and the Constitution to
be impartial, and administer the Government
for the good OF all. The service in public
Office is due to the nation not to the Presi-
dent, and it is his duty to see that the ser
vice in all departments shall be free from
party bias. All people support the Govern
ment. and it is an outrage upon public JUS
tice for those in the public service to serve
a party by becoming active politicians. To
permit them to do so would perveit the
Government most outrageously to party
uses, to the injury of the public service and
the gross corruption OF the Administration.
We think the country may be ielieitated
upon the political death Of Mr.. CoNKL1NG
on Wednesday in.the New York Republican
Convention. 81. r
We regret still more than we do the civil
service views Of Mr.. CoSKLING the evident
leaning that there was to the unconciliatory
disposition of BLAISE-another man who
has fallen in the arena Of the fighters for
the presidential prize. That performer on
the party "trapeze," PLAT, exploited the
CoSKL1SG cue upon the sectional question.
He spoke Of " black and threatening clouds"
that were alarming to "the friends OF free
DOM" What were they? why, the BLAINE
and MORTON cry of the "solid South p
mere hypocrisy-mere pretence-as an ex-
cuse for appealing for the continuance OF
the Republican party" and solid North,
resting upon sectional animosities in all
their uncharitableness and rancorous hate.
PLAT was president OF the Convention.
He was the leader of the CoNKLING party.
And however Mr.. CoNKLING may sugar
over his studied phrases, he is plainly a
companion-in-arm with BLAINE. We have
no idea that either OF them can ever get
higher position than he has in the Govern
ment. and no two men in the land could
meet the fate OF disappointment more to the
national welfare. ,@..,.
Mr.. CoSKLING's speech upon his return
from Europe won our heart, and we said
to ourseli, Here is a noble and liberal states
man here is fine material with which to
assist in reconstructing and accomplishing
the nation. But Mr.. CoNKLING has de-
stroyed his own fine creation. He has COM
mitted crime against his country and
against humanity. Every man who was
melted and won by his Joyous and national
speech upon his return home must now re-
gard him as inficting upon him personal
injury. The hypocrisy Of that speech is all
the greater for the noble virtues and hal
lowed sentiments with which it was yelled.
Goodbye, Mr.. CoSKLIEG. You have
thrown away bright opportunity. What
fall
The Texas-Pacifc Railway.
In an Article commenting upon the views
OF the Norfolk Nrginian, a few days ago,
we observed that the Virginian's expressed
desire for trans-continental line with
branches that shall cross The 1fiSSiSs;Dni nj