The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-08-08
WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 8.

tney choose and what the people choose to have
tnem, as is the inalienable right of every Amer
lcsn citizen. 10 concede this seems to me the
s.Hple que 10 freemen: to exact more affixes
sne 1aoge OF servitude Mr.. Webster once
ealo tnere was nothing to him SO silly as Ma
spnry, except anti-masonry. 1t seems to me
snere IL nothing 80 bad as to make political
service the condition of holding Office except
politcal non-service
do not attribute to the President any in
ISshtions to encroach upon individual liberty
NeVertheless this order is step in that direc-
ton, rather than in the direction of civil service
REFORM. True reform necessarily lies In the
mode OF appointment, in the character of the
appointee and in the degree of continuity of
ofhce-none of which are touched by this Or
der. Reform does not lie in the conventions an
otfice-holder may attend, and the primaries
Where ike other good citizens he has natural
right and a 6ounden duty to co. If appoint
ments are made solely for political reasons it is
IDLE to attempt to reform the civil service, or
70 suppose that we, the people, are Minors pau
pers, Idiots and women enough to suppose that
Inc civil service is to be reformed by tithing
fttle mint, anise and cummin out OF caucus
and convention. How many offce-holders
must be locked in their rooms on convention
day to drown the turmoil in the Baltimore Gus
tom house? Col. Wilkins, the collector of GUS
toms, was appointed less than year ago. He
appears to be gentleman of high character,
and the Secretary of the Treasury publicly
acknowledged him to be an officer of great
merit and usefulness. Him, an admiring peo-
PIE see turned out to make room for Mr.. Thorn
as, on the assurance of Mr.. Fulton, editor of
the Baltimore American, that with this change
they can elect reform mayor the coming au-
tumnl Adam E. King, the naval officer at
baltimore, gallant soldier of the Union army,
an officer of the highest character.and gentle
man to the manner born, points the same moral
IN the same way. And all this done publicly.
The letters are printed in the newspapers.
And all the while and all the same the cry
goes up to Heaven that the President is thor
cughly in earnest, and it is only soreheads that
vail
The lofty and pure. patriotism of these various
state delegations of Reformers, who are be-
sieging and beseeching the President for offices
wherewlth to promote Reform was not sur
passed even by that of our own Essex County
hero, who wrote to Gov. Andrew in the midst
eft his great war labors: 81 want to do my full
share in putting down this Internal rebellion.
Won't you appoint me sutler to the 23d regi-
ment?'
have been close observer of political af-
fairs under Administrations that made no
professtonsof being governed by other than
the ordinary combination of partisanship and
patriotism in their motives. have deeply de-
plored what seemed to me grave errors and
nnwarrantable assumptions; but anything 80
open so shameless, so fundamental and fatal
as this avowed use of Federal patronage to
control elections, have never SEEM In vain is
the. net spread in the sight of any bird. IT
Scripture is to be depended upon in politics
they will not catch Reform Mayor in Balti-
more, and Reform, already bedraggled and
travel-worn, will find herselves in the plight
Of the homely, but devout and determined
New England converts who "rolled in the dirt
without hearing Whitefeldp'
GAIL HAMILTON