The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-08-27
"a Great Opportunity"


at Washington and Albany, and the
miserable surrender of the Republi
cans to Mahone," says one of their
organs, shave afforded Democrats a
great opportunity" The events at
Washington to which reference is
made we presume to be the. Conkling
and Platt designations and the at
tempted assassination of the Presi-
dent. The great opportunity, no
doubt, grows out of the assumed
popular demand for reform in the
Civil Service to which these events
are supposed to have given rise. The
New York Senators having resigned
their seats in a huff because they
were not permitted the absolute con-
troll and disposition ofcertain Federal
Offices, and disappointed Office
seeker" having attempted the life OF
the President, it is supposed that the
public mind has leaped to the con-
clusion that system OF Civil Service
under which such things are possible
necessarily needs reforming, and that
something must be done about it i'm.
mediately. And it is argued that in
this state of things there is nothing
for the people to do but rise up
against the party in power, under
whose administration these things
have come to pass, and compel it to
give way to a party of higher stand
ards, purer practices and more I'M
partisan and unselfish aims a party
of reform; the Democratic party in
short. Hence events in Washington
are supposed to have afforded the
Democracy a great opportunity.
The reasoning is trifie too swift,
and there is perceptible lack of
logic in it. Our Civil Service is far
from perfect, no doubt. Govern
ment patronage is liable to be and
unquestienably often is used as a re-
ward for party service, and good
citizens looks upon this feature of it
with disfavor. They would like to
see the system changed so that there
should be something like fixity of
tenure in the subordinate offices, and
honesty, capacity and fidelity made
the sole tests. They would like a
reform which should eliminate the
factor OF patronage from politics,
and curtail by so much at least the
power of machine politicians and
bosses. But the two New York Sem
ators threw up their commissions and
put themselves in antagonism with
the Administration for the very
reason that the President resisted
their demands and refused to permit
any such use of the Federal Offices in
this city and State. And the Repub-
llcans OF New York haye approved
his action. have oyerthrown bossism
and dismantled the machine, and
put themselves in accord and in line
with the Administration. Having
done this, what reason is there for
any friend of Reform to array him
self against either the Republican
party or the Administration it sup
ports? The Administration has done
the very thing the reformers have
been clamoring for; has put itself in
opposition to the chief evil of which
they complained. And the Repub.
licans of New York have sustained
and Endorsed it, and repudiated both
Boss and Machine.
The crime of the disappointed
otfice-seeker," Guiteau, has no doubt
contributed to bring the subject of the
Civil Service to the front of discus
sion. But has it furnished any reason
for opposition to Republican Ad.
mlnistration@ The great objection
OF Civil Service Reformers to the ex.
isting system is that upon the advent
of new Administration sweeping
changes are liable to take place, and
men are appointed to Office without
regard to fitness or capacity, simply
as reward for personal or party SER
vice. Guiteau'5 crime directs atten-
ton to the very significant and preg-
nant fact that under the present Ad-
mlnistration no such thing happened.
There were no sweeping renewals
and bat very few changes. There
was no chance for this man or for any
other who pressed his claim for Office
upon the ground purely of personal
service in the campaign. The occasion
for his crime was not in the existence
but in the absence of one of the chief
evils of which complaint is made.
How then can the events at Wash
lngton, the Senatorial designations
and the crime of Guiteau, afford the
Democrats q great opportunity to
profit by the agitation Of Civil Ser.
vice Reform, since the events named
both attest the sincerity of ReDubli.
can professions and the determine
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