The Evening critic., 1881-07-27

THE ABLE editor of our esteemed con-
temporary, the Republican, is one of the
newest converts to the great gospel Of Civil
Service Reform, which may account for an
exceeding glow of zeal in the light of which
all previous advocates must pale their in
cffectual fires. 1t is evident that the able
editor has been reinforcing the luminosity
of his powerful mind from the reflected
rays of the July sun upon the incandescent
sands of Rehoboth beach. Even the dirt
itself is clean along that Eastern Shore
beach so clean that the young ladies loaf
about upon the sand clad in white muslin
and never soil their dresses. Manifestly,
the theories of government which spring
from such an abnormally clean soil-speak-
ing of Mother Earth as by the figure of
metOnyiny for human nnature-will nOtprove
practical when subjected to the tests of
other soils in which contact with water
produces mud. But lot us read the view
of human nature and its application to the
science of government which the able edi-
tor of the Republican has absorbed from the
glisten of the July sun upon the immacu-
late sand of Rehoboth beach, He says;
''To make honest administration of the
Government the chief aim Of party is to
presuppose its members to be composed
of something finer than clay. No thought
of self would be admissible. In a party SO
formed no man in it would care q fig for
any Office, from President down to a
whisky gauger. The absence of this de-
sire would greatly aid the appointing
power, from the people at large in their
choice of Presidents and Congressman
to the President and heads of Depart
ments in designating officers under them
There would be no time expended In
driving back the claimants There would
be no ISLANDERS Of men prior to nationa
conventions, and combinations of Office
seekers to tear down the strongest woult
be unknown. There would be no fals'
pledges given to secure success for no maj
would care whether he was elected or not
After election the question of the succession
would never be thought of, for man wh'
had cared nothing for first election
would surely never conspire for secont
Ouc. hc obJSSto Va W""i' ~
found, upon reflection, to be very circum
scribed. To preserve order while bust
ness went on to protect the rights O
persons and property by enforcing know
penalties upon any who violated them; t.
be ready for defense against enemies to az
portion the burdens of government cquall
among all to educate the young, and to Sc
lect honest and capable agents for all this
that is all. No thought of delegates to til
next convention would enter into the sele'
tion of men for office. No good Office
would be disturbed in order to substitute
better politician In short, civilservice ol
der No. would work both ways"
Now, if we did not know that the abb
editor Of our esteemed contemporary is
gentleman in whom the virtue of sincerit
rises to the excess of fault, we shoul
suspect him of q deliberate attempt to ex
aggerate the average Civil-Service Reforr
argument to the proportions of absurditl
But our knowledge of his character pr'
cludes such suspicion, and therefore we ca
only abscribe his zeal to the regency OF b
conversion and the peculiarphyslcalphenon
ena by which he is temporarily surrounded
Nothing could please us more than to Sc
American human nature take on just sue
phases as the able editor presupposes as