New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-21
THE yEW DEMOCRATIC Reform.

THE NEW DEMOCRATIC REFORM.
The present Democratic agitation of Civil
Service Reform is very impressive. The party
| leaders, solemnized to an unusual degree by the
reflection that contributions from official per-
sons contributed largely to the late Democratic
defeat, a1e diligently considering plans for
| legislation against this crying evil OF the time.
| 1t seems to have only just dawn upon them
that the practice is dangerous, and liable, if
not put down by law, TO subvert our free insti-
tutions On Wednesday OF last week, Senator
Pendleton introduced in the Senate bill of
the most stringent character prohibiting any
officer, clerk. or emplOye of the Government,
or any agent or contractor, or other person
holding any office of employment or trust, from
contributing money, property, or other valuable
thing for any political purpose whatsoever, or
by the use or abuse of any official privilege or
function, or by the appointment to office. or
giving contract, CT by the promise OF office
or contract or reward or influence. or by threat
or mcnaces. or in any other manner except by
giving his own individual vote or by public
speech, intermeddling with any election, under
pain of prosecution for high misdemeanOr
and fine Alr. Pendleton evidently feels
deeply on this subject. So also do the Hotel
Brunswick refOrmers of this city. who on the
same day resolved with great sOlemnty that
Civil Service is a question of great moment"
aud that " the army of oflce-hOlders under the
National State, and Municipal Governments,
and the established practice of compelling
them to contribute money toward carrying
the elections, are fraught with the greatest
danger to the Republic" AnC they, too, set
forth as one of the remedies against this crying
evil the passage of law prohibiting the con-
tribution CT money toward elections by persons
holding place under the Umted States and
Municipal Governments.
So We presume the next role of the DcmOc-
racy is to be that OF Civil Service Ref0rmers.
This seems to be the purpose of their present
attitudinizing here and IN Congress. The party
in power, in the language of the Hotel Bruins
wick manifesto, "reproduceS and replaces itself
ain power" by these forced contributions, and
it thus becomes impossible to have free ex-
"pression of the will of the people, The
Democratic party proposes to reform all this
and save free institutions. Well, we know
something about what the party has done in
this city, where it has for long time had
the power, in tn matter of assessing its Office
holders tor political purposes. There has never
been any suggestion here either to prohibit con-
tributiOns or even to wait for them to be vol
uuteered Here every Democratic otiicehOlder
and candidate is assessed, and assessed most
roundly too and no secret is made of it. But
perbaps Senator Pendleton and the refOrners
will contend that the National party is not re-
sponsible for the condition OF things III this
city; that what they are aiming at is great
reform of National character that Will put
an end to the abuse of Federal patronage.
They will shortly be coming before the people
asking 10 be trusted with power in order that
they may purify the public service and stop
the practice of assessing or taking voluntary
contributions from Ofliceholders. Well, it is
long time since they had any Federal office
holders TO assess, but they are not without q
record and since they seem so Mortified at this
practice, let us look at it moment and see if
they have al ways felt So They had a record
on finance, it will be remembered, and when
they asked to be trusted with financial
administration the people looked at it, saw
where they left the National credit In 1861,
and said firmly, No.
This party had political control and all the
Federal offices from 1853 to 1861. Did they
consider then tnaL Tie army Vi oiHccuOiutIs
and |" the practice of compelling them to con-
[" tribute money toward carrying the elections"
was fraught with the greatest danger to the
- Republc"7 One of the last elections in this
State during the period in which they had
offices to assess was in November, 1858. The
buchanan Administration considered it OF the
greatest importance to secure the Congress
elected in that year. Dean Richmond was
chairman, and Peter Cagger secretary, OF the
New-York Democratic State Committee. We
have before us a specimen of the documents
issued by those functlonaries, and an excellent
illustration of the views held by the party at
that time as to the uses OF Federal patronage. it
is directed to the then Postmaster General, and
is as follows:
ALBANY, Sept. IS. 1858.
Hoa A. V. BRows.
DEAR SIR: We have come to the conclusion to
recommend the appointment Of the following gen.
tlemen rs special agents from your department to
confer with the Postmasters in this State, viz:
Wm G. Dryer. of Ontario County.
James II. Sheriff., of Washington County.
Have the goodness to transmit the appointments
10 Mr. Cagser without delay. Respectfully yours.
DEAN RICHMOND, Chairman.
7. CAGGER, Secretary.
This is document that needs no key The