New-York tribune., 1881-08-17
"A GREAT OPPORTITNIT

The Democracy are beginning to kindle with
what they are pleased to call "a great oppor-
tmity." "The political events of the past few
months at Washington and Albany and the
miserable surrender of the Republicans to
Mahonc," says one of their organs, "have
afforded Democrats great opportunity" The
events at Washington to which reference is
made we presume to be the Conkling and Platt
designations and the attempted assassination
of the President The great opportunity no
doubt, grows ont of the assumed popular de-
mand for reform i'll the Civil Service to
which these events are supposed to have
given rise. The New-Yorll Senators having
resigned their seats in a hulf because they were
not permitted the absolute control and disposition
of certain Federal offices, and disappointed
oiice-seeker having attempted the life of the
President, it is supposed that the public mind
has leaped to the conclusion that q system of
Civil Service under which such things are DOS
sible necessarily nceds reforming, and that
something must be done about il Immediately.
| And 1T 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
standards, purer practices and more bipartisan
| and unselfish aims; party of reform the
Democratic party in short. Hence events in
| Washington are supposed to have afforded the
| Democracy great opportunity.
| The reasoning is a trfe too swift and there
| is perceptible lack of logic in it. Our Civil
Service is far from perfect, no doubt Gov
ernment patronage is liable to be and unoues-
| tiOnably often is used as a reward for party
| service and good citizens look upon this fea-
| ture of it with disfavor. They would like to
| see the system changed so that there should
be something like fixity of tenure in the subOr-
dinate offices, and honesty, capacity and fidel-
! ity made the sole tests. They would like q
| 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 Senators threw
up their commissions and put themselves in
| antagonisln with the Administration for
| the very reason that the President re-
sisted their demands and refused to
! permit any such use OF the Federal Offices i'm
this city and State. And the Republicans of
| New-Y ork have approved his action. have
overthrown bossism and dismantled' the ma
chine, 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 himself against either the
| Republican party or the Administration it SUD-
| poitS ho ADMINISTRATION mas UOnG the very
thing the reformers have been clamorng
for; has put itself in opposition to the chief
evil of which they complained. And the Re-
publicans of New-Y York have sustained and
indorsed it, and repudiated both Boss and
| Machine.
| The crime of the disappointed ofiice-seeker,n
Guteau, has no doubt contributed to bring the
subject of the Civil Service to the front of dis
| cussion. But has it furnished any reason for
| opposition to Republican Administration 7 The
| great objection of Civil Service Reformers to
the existing 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's crime directs attention to the
| very significant and pregnant fact that under
! the present Administration no such thing hap
pened. There were no sweeping removals and
but very few changes. There was no chance
Tor this man or for any other who pressed his
clam Tor Office upon the ground purely of
personal Service in the campaign. The occa-
sion Tor his crime was not in the
existence but in the absence of one of the
chief evils of which complaint is made. How