Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-08-09
Reform Profession and Practice.
New York Tribune.

It is to be hoped that the discus.
sion of the subject of civil service
reform, which broke out in July in
the most unexpected quarters, may
not run its course and cease before
December. Whatever may be the
exciting cause, it is certainly of good
augury to see one Democratic news
paper after another avowing itself in
favor of reform which if adopted
will keep the administration of af-
fairs out of the acquisitive hands OF
Democratic strikers for many years
to come. This in itself would be a
great gain, worth making almost any
| sacrifice for. Several national cleo
tons have been striven for and won
by the Republicans, purely on the
conviction of a majority OF the people
of this country that it is not safe
to trust the business management of
this government to the hands of the
Democratic party as at present Or
ganized and composed. If the in>
dependent voters throughout the
land could once be convinced that in
electing Democratic President they
would not be turning out of Office
the tens of thousands of trained
Republican officeholders by whom
the affairs of the nation are on the
whole so we'll carried on, there are
great many who would like the
novelty of voting once for a
Democratic candidate, just to
change the monotony. As
the Tribune has several times
before observed, the very hour in
which the Democratic party and it's
authorized candidates can assure the
American people that, in the event
of Democratic success, the present
administration of subordinate offices
will not be interfered with, except
for just cause, that hour the struggle
of vast majorty of ofGee-holders to
keep their places, by defeating the
Democrats, Miil be at an end.
Every intelligent man knows
already-that 'ofice-holders were
under no terror from Mr.. Hayes,
and that they will be under no
terror from General Garfield. No
one has feared, for the last four
years, that he would lose his place
if he did not work for the party, and
no one fears to-day that Garfield, or
his Cabinet, will turn him out for
minding his own business. It was
Hancock whom they feared in 1880
it was Tilden whom they dreaded in
1876, in spite of all their profess
sions of reform; and they did yeo~
mans service to prevent the hosts OF
Northern and Southern Democracy
from taking possession of the gov
eminent. This is perfectly natural
impulse, and no amount of pamphlet
discussion or empiric legislation will
prevent it.
This being the case, it is source
of surprise and qualification to some
of our reforming friends that few
Democratic newspapers and Demo-
cratic statesmen seem in favor of such
reform. It is true that any mani
festation of common sense and proper
feeling from that quarter is an occa-
sion for surprise, and we gravely
doubt if the rank and file of the
party will ever be brought to acqui-
esce in any policy which shall con-
denim the cardinal Jacksonian prin-
ciple of giving spoils to politica
victors. So far as we have seen, they
do not wish to commit themselves tt
anything more than the safe propo'
sition that it ought to b.
) made a penal ofense for a Re
3 publican office-holder to contribute
money for the use of his party. But
if the leaders do show the courag,
' and sagacity to stand by their pres
ent professions until next winter
we think there is little doubt tina
Mr. Dorman B. Eaton's bill, Or some
thing like it, will be adopted b,
Congress, and the reform will b
. started fairly on it's way. There i
no danger that Republicans will lool
with jealousy upon such work as tn
l Democrats may contribute to such
consummation.
: We are continually warned by SO
!, called independent organs that
Il will not be well for the Republican
party if it allows the Democrats t.
take the initiative in this reform
, There is not the slightest danger
u This reform, as we'll as all other re
> forms, must be effected by the Re
publican party if it is to be effecte'
> at all. A little perfunctory beatin,
Of the bass~drum of reform durin,
= the hot months when politics Ian
> guish, and discussion of abstrac
u questions Of morality divide th
J field with the mammoth gooseberr,
. and the sociable rattlesnake of tn,
L rural press, will not suffice to make in
= telligent men forget what the two par
ties have done and are doing witt
Il the civil service. It owes its print
), tive degradation to the Democrat
q idol and examplar, Andrew Jackson
. John Quincy Adams made two re
= movals for cause during his admin
9 istration. Andrew jackson, follow
: ing him, Immediately made tw
thousand for political reasons. FL
=. and his Democratic successor
brought the civil service down t.
III L - .