Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-08-05
No. 81.


Nt"ettt.Fn fFpaa WE psfyf-J
infinitely better test than mere recommenda-
ton from political favor. 1t has not been
extended as far as it should be, but good
beginning has been made, capable of large
extension and development. Fourthly the
practice of making promotions from lower
to higher places for good official services
rendered, not only in the departments, but
also in some branches of the service outside
of them. has been carried out to a much
greater extent than Is generally known
thus furnishing another stimulus TO the zeal
Of the public servants. | repeat that mis-
takes in appointments have undoubtedly oc-
CURED, some of a more or less conspicuous
kind, and that the principles of thorough
reform have not been a. universally applied
as they should have been. Great cries have
been raised about instances IN which those
principles appear to have been disregard,d
but under the old regular spoils system such
instances were the rule. compliance with
which would not have been criticised at all
and the very cries that are now raised with
regard To them in our case prove that at
present they are the exception. The very
kind of criticism applied to the Administra
ton shows that things have grown better.
In spite Of the mperfections Of the methods
followed. the result has been that the public
business L. recognized TO be conducted now
in a more business-llke manner than before.
and that the efficiency Of the service has
been lifted up to a much higher standard.
Now substitute for this the Democratic ~
form. making a clean sweep according to the
old spoils system. and what viii YOU have z
Hundreds Of thousands Of politicians. grea;
and small. but all hungry. rushing for seven
~ or eighty thousand places. backed and
pressed hy ever Democratic Congressman
and every Democratic committee in the land.
This impetuous rush must BE- satisfied "a
pidly a. possible. for they want to make the
best of their time, and IN tins case, well
a. others. time is money. Ii Is useless 10
disguise II. the masses of office seckers.
starved for twenty years. wall not be turned
back as long as there i mouthful on the
table. Seventy or eighty thousand officers
selected at random from that multitude %;
raNenous applicants Will be put into place.
held nov mostly BY men Of tired capacity
and experience. They must BE- taken at ran
dom, for it il impossible to till 80 large \
number Of places in so short time a. the
furious demand will permit IN any other way.
Need ] tell anV sensible man what the effect
upon the conduct Of the public business wl.l
be- P Ii wall be the Reorganization Of the
whole administrative machinery Of the Gov
eminent al one fell blow IL vii. be the sud
den substitution Of raw hands for skilled
and tried public ser, ants the substitution
OF the eager desire to make out Of public
affairs much can be made in the short
est possible time. for Official training cNpe-
renee and sense Of responsibility. 1t ~llI
be a removal for some time a; least Of those
carefully devised guards which are nov
placed over the public money and it. use ii
will in a word be the sudden distribution Of
so many thousand places Of trust, responsl-
hility and power. now well filed. IN the true
sense Of the word as spoils among the hosts
Of the victorious party.
COSTLY EXPERIMENT FOR THE COUNTRY
Il Is useless 20 say that the Democratic
party contains a sufficient number Of men O!
ability and integrity 10 fill all those places.
No doubt It does. But il i absoiutcl, i'm
possible for those who have the appointing
power, even If they were ever 50 well Dis
posed, To make careful selections for SO many
thousand places in short time. especial,
considering the fact that usual, the least
worthy asplranis are among the most clam
strongest political Inducements. Need tell
the tax PAYERS what such an experiment va!
cost Suppose after q success OF the Dem
oora;ic party IN Presidential election all the
ofhoes. high and low. in all the banks and
ali the savings institutions Of the counir, .
were TO be h!led suddenly with Democratic
politicians upon the recomme ndailon Of Dcm-
ocratlc Congressmen and campaign commit
tees, Wha; would the dcpositors think Of tho
safety Of their none, And vet the inter
ests involved in the banks are certainly b,
no means greater than the interests IN, Owed
IN the conduct Of the great Government Of
the United States. do no, think thi, i,
putting the case any too strongly and in
Nite the business men Of the countr, and the
taxpayers generally 10 consider II well he
fore they cast their votes
! am willing TO assume that IN al these
respects General Hancock entcrtains the b,->;
possible intentions, and even that he ma,
form for himself plan Of action intended 10
ohNlaie these difficulties and disasters. lie
may possibly tell YOU 20. and mean what he
SAYS Yet Is II not obvious that having no
experience whatever in political life. be viii
be completely q; the mercy Of wind and
waves, and that there vii be power Of
wind III the Democratic Nlciors clamorlng
for the spoils strong enough 10 upse, the in
genuliy Of the hrme>i and most skilled poll
ucian IN hIs party Ne, let nobody indulge
IN an, deiusion about il a Democratic VIC
tory means tina; the yictnrs NIll take the
spoils al once and this means the complete
destruction for time Of the whole admins
tratIHc machinery Of the Government. With
al IT, checks and guards. and the people II
have 10 foot the bills for the carnival This
~iA be q reform of the civil service TO make
the ear Of the tax payers tingle.
rHE oTHfR slDK
No prudent citizen can fail 10 IL repell,d
by such prospects unless equally grea; or
greater dangers threaten from the other side
let u look at that other side now ! am
certainly not one Of those who would assert
that the Republican party has been without
fault have been one Of il most uuspar-
Ing critics, and have been unsparingly crlii-
elsed myself by thorough going paTtIsans IN
return. | shall always claim for myself free
dom Of opinion and speech in that respect
The Republican party has undoubtedly made
great many mistakes. viii not 20 back
10 the period Of reconstruction and an alb
solved Southern policy, because that lies far
behind Us, and is not AL issue in this cam
palgn- Its constitutional results have be
come settlements, accepted BY both sides
IN profession at least, and the policy Of force
after the remission of the late rebel States
has under this Administration Welded 10 a
scrupulous rule Of constitutional principles
Neither would | deny that, with regard TO
the question Of the public debt at one time
and 10 the on Tor