New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-04-06
GAIL HAMILToN-D. B. EATON
Mr.. EAToNs PATH or GLORY IN THE FEB
RUARY ATLANTIC.
M TRUTH 81 WORDs.

the doves to their windows thinking OF nothing but
TO ascend mp into heaven, with the Psalmlst, 10
find q candidate pure enough for Their SURFACES
On the contrary. handful of Reformers went to
Cincinnati, really ready to follow the P3almst IN
the other direction and make their bed n hell for
the sake of getting any sort of candidate w10 would
let them in on the winning side They went into
convention with a candidate who did for them
represent Reform They could not elect him, and
they dropped him for man who had scarcely been
heard of by the country at large, but OF whose ke-
form traits The Boston DAILY advertiser had
advised a very select circle of MS, along Bev-
erly shore and Ipswich beach, in telling us
that his nomination for Governor of Ohio against
Judge Taft in 1875 was unquestOnably the work OF
1.-THE small managers of local political rings, act
ing in conjunction with the men of better character
but no more tact, who insist that candl-
date shall be Of their opinion of opinion con-
corning the merits of their private and particular
hoLby-hOTses;" that while Judge Taft was man
of conspicuous ability and various accomplish
ments he was mot a politician" and " the Ben
EggestOn Ring of Cincinnati II do not know
ANYTHING about " Ben Egglest0n or his " ring -"
except this its sudden and solitary appearance IN
The Boston Advertiser but if he is in training as
Reform candidate for the Presidency at some future
moment. hereby give him notice that by consult
ing The Boston AdrTtiSer he may hear of something
very much to his advantage was dreadiully afraid
of him, not without reason. Hayes they knew. lie
had been Governor two terms and there never was
any danger that he would institute any reforms to
burt. OIe possesses all the cardinal virtues, but
counts for nothing). Before Judge Tafts name was
brought forward, General Hayes had publicly and
as positively as possible declined to be a candidate.
The day before the convention The CiRcianGH Gazette
published an extract from letter written by General
Hayes, in which he said Il wish you and my friends
TO know that | Will not, under any circumstances,
be a candidate against Judge Taft for Governor?
Nevertheless when the convention met he was a
candidate it is understood with his consent and at
all events he Immediately telegraphed his accept
ance of denomination And he was nominated
and elected on a platform which The Adrertiser
pronounced crafty rather than bold, equiyOcal
rather than plain"
do not affirm that the Reformers were unwise or
untrue in nominating such man, with such aid as
they could secure; but l do affirm that they shall
not call it the triumph of principle of purity, of the
higher element in politics II was twice and thrice
as much the triumph of every faction, and every
measure, and every element which the Reformers
had been for months denOuncng as corrupt and
shameless and fatal it the triumph of Reform
But having made this stand for the facts, l reln-
Qulsn anu eutlItly al It's duNduldBeS
and make over to Mr.. Eaton, his comrades,
their heirs and assigns forever. all right and
title to the honor accruing from the Cincinnati
Convention. Indeed, l do not think 60 far wrong
in assuming that may speak for the whole Repub-
hcan party. l believe that even the "sagacous
party managers" Mr.. COnkling, Mr.. Cameron aud
their allies, would vie with me in generosity, and
gladly transfer to Mr.. DOrman b. Eaton and his
true statesmen" all their credit for the introduce
ton of the higher element in politics which the
nomination of Mr.. Hayes has brought about
Mr.. DOrman b. Eaton announces himself satisfied
and by so doing becomes to us-if he will pardon
the allusion-hke the shadow of a great rock
in weary land. He declares that it is enough.
1T is enough for purpose that, while tfel upon
in every way SO worthy to fill the first Office it
also fell upon one whO more emphaticaliy than any
other perso before proposed for that high sta
ton had pledged himself to the reform of the Civil
Service. The President has Justly interpreted the
pledges given according to their spirit aud to their
acceptance by the people"
Mr.. EatOn's " courageous spirit" certainly mounts
haTdihOOd in this assertion. The air is thick with
jeer and scott and scOn. with intrigue and fasehOod
and broken faith and mad folly and cOwardice and
hypocrisy, which make the sturdy and stubborn
vices of the past assume the semblance of virtue,
and Mr. Eaton stands staring right on with calm
eternal eyes, and calls it Reform and he likes it.
One knows not how to approach such a man. 1t
would be time lost to approach him at all, but for
the value given to his opinion by its expression in
monthly magazine of respectable character and cir
culation and by the fact that he was O. member of
the Civil Service Reform Commission, and thereby
one Of the chief opponents of Reform Let u.s. there
fore, piece by piece, compare words with facts But
first becauseMr Eaton is not be trusted let us COM
pare words with words What were the pledges 7"
In slight sketch of the history and progress of his
Reform MT. Eaton says that in 1872 the Republic
can National Convention, the Liberal Convention
andthe Democratic Convention, each passed resou-
tions declaring tho need of great reform that
should abolish patronage and advance merit. The
two latter conventions proclaimed the reform to be
'One of the most pressing necessities OF the hour
and the Republicans declared that to give offices as
reward for party zeal is fatally demoralizng'"
With the Liberal and the Democratic Conventions
have nothing TO do. But Mr.. DOrman B. Eaton,
appointed commissioner to reform our Civil Service
and in moral attitude higher by the breadth Of my
nail than any Of his contemporaries has delibcr-
ately through manuscript and proof-shoet garbed
the record of the Republican Convention of 1872,
has made it promise what it did not promise, aud
state principles which it did not state and 50 has
borne false witness against the politicians whose
"moral tone" is so offensive TO his snow-whte pu-
rity.
The Republican platform of 1872 Says
Any system ofthe Clv Service, under which the sub
ordinate positions OF the Government considered
ward for party zeal il fatally demOralizng and
therefore favor reform Of the system by laws which
shall abolish the evils OF patronage, and make honesty,
public positions, without practically creating life
tenure OF Office
This is right and proper. It is adopted and be-
heved by every honest Republican in the country.
It think the FIRST appearance Of Civil Service
Reform strictly sO-called, in the platforms yet il
deineates with correctness the true path and gives
scope all the reform which the Civil Service needs
L. 80 %.