New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-11
4 FIVE CHANCE FOR DEMOCRATS.

| One of the most sensible and straightfOr-
ward of the annual messages of State EXccu-
tiyes which have been delivered during the
past week. is that of Governor Hubbard, Of
Connecticut. Largely devoted to the con-
sidcrahon of subjects of local interest,
| it toats each one in bread and
intelligent spirit, with .entirc freedom
from partisanship or prejudice. In his COM
mcnts upon National politics, Governor Hub
| bard, after frankly commencing the efforts OF
the present Administration TO purge the Civil
Service Of some of It's abuses wastes, and
vcnalitics, for which he says it deserves the
! thanks of honest men of all parties goes on to
say: -" But may it not be doubted whether
'any permanent reform i possible so
"loug as well nigh 100000 offices are
"madc 10 shift from one side to the other with
| "cycry change of Administration and TO serve
las mere booty for party conquest ! May 1t
mot also be properly and proiitdbly remarked
- that if the governing party need, protection
against Federal c.ucls-m0ngcrs M the prima-
- Iics, the voters OF all parties are entitled to
e" the same protection against like impcriinent
interference in the elections p No one doubts
the sincerity of Governor Hubbard in his hearty
depreciation of the spOils system, under which
those JOG, 900 offices are made 10 serve as
mere booty for party conquest Nor does any
one question the carncstnCss with which hc
condemns the impairment interference OF
OfliciIlism in elections. But il must be re-
mcmbcrcd that he speaks for party that has
for many years had very little experience OF
the responsibilities Of making appointments
and administering the Government Ii Is
much easier 10 cIit!cse IN opposition adj
mini,tration than 10 administer wisely by
ones own party. The excellent sentiments IN
Governor Iubbard's Message will be credited
to the Democratic party, as one of the evil
dcnccs that the parry Is in favor OF reform III
the direction pointed ont. We doubt very
much if il deserves it. Professions are one
thn! practice quite another. We need not
rummage political history mu,h to find that
the professions Of political parties do not in
yariably agree with their acts.
There H. however, III this matter simple
test 10 which the Democracy may be brought.
They are III a ma jOnty III the House oi
REPRESENTATIVES, and on the eve, as they be-
Ucyc. of obtaining control Of the Senate. In
1879 they are confident of having both
branches of Congress, and III 1881 OF con-
trolling all departments of the Government In
this state Of things, with nearly all the 100000
Offices in the hands OF Republicans, the latter
could not, with any decent grace, take mp
Governor lIubbards suggestion and adopt
measures to make these offices n pcrmanence,
upon the plea that great mischief grows out
of frequent changes. Republicans attempting
any such thing, if they had the power,
would be denounced for what would ut
once be called sharp practice II they
should simply propose 1t under existing
circumstances they would expose themselves
to derison for attempting II cheap and
hollow imposition. Obviously, the evil OF which
Governor Hubbard complains cannot now be
reached by the Republican party. The motives
of a party which should take such an adyan
tage OF the opportunity to make permanent its
hold upon the Offices would be too quickly
questioned. Equally manifest it Is that the
present occasion offers the finest possible OPP
portunity to the Democratic party to attest its
own sincerity with reference To the cOntem-
plated reform, and ut the same time initiate
the reform itself. There will he no such shift
ing of Offices as Governor Hubbard speaks of,
unless the Democrats come into power in
1881 Ii will be very easy for them to pro-
vide against the sweeping changes which good
citizens deprecate by some simple legislation
by the present Congress, which shall make
the tenure of Federal offices more stable
and secure. We say easy, notwithstanding we
are aware that Republican ingenuity has been
taxed to the utmost, and to no practical pur-
pose, for several years TO devise some such
measure. But we should expect better results
from the Democrats, for the reason that
they have always represented it as Il
very simple and easy matter to accom-
plish, and have always laughed at the futile
efforts and experiments of their adversares.
1t is really great opportunity for the Demo-
cratic party i'll Congress- and we think We can
safely promise them thc hearty cooperation and
support of sufficient number OF Republicans
to secure Che success Of any measure having
such an end in view.
Governor Hubbard has struck the keynote
of great reform Thoughtful men have
viewed with apprehension and alarm the in
creasing evils growing ont Of the system which
makes all our Government offices mere booty
for party conquest. From one cause and au
other, the efforts OF Republicanisn TO reform
the whole system have failed OF entire
success. That party now labors under the
embarrassment in reference to the subject
which we have noted above, and whatever it
might undertake would be subject to miscOn-
struction. But no such difficulties are in the