The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-11-06

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recognizing on broad question OF simple
honesty" and that "the great source of
political immortality in the United States
was to be found in our system of civil
service" In word, helping those who
helped to gain political triumph is Inn
moral and dishonest. This is true enough
Ii those who gain political triumph employ
immoral and dishonest means, and not other
wise. To gain such a triumph as placed
Hayes in the Office OF president was not
only immoral and dishonest but most In
famous crime, and the crime attaches to
every man who holds Office by his APP
pointment. Such q scramble as was
made for office by the Florida and Louisiana
conspirators was degrading, but ordinarily
the ''vices and shortcomings of the govern
'ment." as Mr.. Curtis puts it, are not to be
traced to the system of helping" those who
helped to gain the triumph, 1T had once
BEEN" said Mr.. Curtis, 'the worst feature
of England, but was now detested by Eng
land and was known abroad only as the
American system. A change OF administra-
'tion involved a change not only of minis
tiers of state, but of clerks, of messengers
that ran errands, of the porters that did
'menial service, of the collectors of revenue,
of the light house keepers, of the very wash
'ers of floors and makers of fires. Under a
free trade administration no trimmer of
lamps would hope to hold his humble
post who had the slightest leaning
towards protection for oil. Let there be
but a change and the country postmistress
who was suspected of unsound doctrine
would find herself supplanted by ladies
whose brothers or COUSINS might be found
useful through the ballots denied to the
women themselves. 1t was a monstrous
system, as incredible in its lack of admins.
'trative common sense as 1t was ruinous to
public morality. When we came to cleo
'tion, under the influence of this highly Or
iganized party system, the only choice left
'us was that which sometimes happened to
betters on the race course between horse
lame i'm two legs and horse lame in three.
Was there any reason why the civil service
should be accounted less honorable than
the army and navy? Had any one ever
heard of civil official boast himself of his
position? Was not the name officeholder a
term OF reproach? This was the result,
however, only to the officeholder himself.
What was its effect on general politics and
public sentiment The struggle for place
and emolument embittered and intensified
party strife. Public life itself was depre.
'ciated. Young men with a laudsble ambition
for serving their country found themselves
constrained by the necessity OF submitting
themselves to q vulgar and inferior class.
and responsibility died out of politics. The
generous ambition for political success was
extinct, for honorable men did not care to
pay the price"
In all of this there is deal OF bosh. The
democratic party has been engaged for years
In an effort to overthrow the radical party
to clean out the radical stable, which con-
tains ten times more radical thieves than
the stables OF the tabled king contained
oxen. 1t would doubtless be gratifying to
the radical party il the men who have fought
the democratic party at every step by which
1t has regained power could be retained in
Office TO play spy and traitor upon the plea
that to hustle them out of office would be
immoral and dishonest. The democratic
party is not likely to be diverted from its
duty by such pleadings. 1t is never immoral
or dishonest to place honest men in office,
and such will be the character of those who
at very early day will occupy official posi-
tons under the government OF the United
States.