Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-11-10

WASHINGTON, November S.-That reformers
do not always reform is shown in the record
of Attorney General MacVeagh. MacVeagh
has always shone out in the light of a great
reformer 1t was the regular thing for years
to say that he was going into the Cabinet
whenever there occurred a vacancy in that
body. He was always going in as a reformer
and was expected to make things hum. In
fact, MacVeagh was one of the bulwarks of
reform. When he finally did get into the Cabi-
net his admirers just told the people to hold
their breath and stand from under. Some
thing was going to drop certainly. MacVeagh
encouraged that belief. He was on the reform
war-path. The first big thing that he
struck was the star route
cases. Not conte nted with silently prosecut
ing his Investigations into that dirty job of
public thievery, he called the newspapers
about him and proclaimed that he had such
evidence that conviction of the thieves was
bound to follow. He surrounded himself in
his investigation by q band. which might be
collectively spoken of as ex-thieves and shys-
ter lawyers. But he kept a-howling about the
convictions which were to follow. The star
route thieves could, by reading the newspa-
pers, learn ali that the great reformer was up
to- and they read the newspapers. The conSe-
quence has been that they are fully prepared
TO meet every point taken by the prosecution,
and that the thieves will go unscathed. But
he is a great reformer, nevertheless. Now
that he has built a big fire and finds
that it is apt to burn him in
reputation IN and not seriously scorch the
thieves, he attempts to fly from the Cabinet,
and leave the job which he has bOtched to
other hands President Arthur has gauged
him pretty well, however, and by not accept
ing his resignation, kept him upon the
anx Gus bench. 1t is to be hoped-and 1t is
thought by the well informed that such will be
the case-lthat President Arthur will keep Mr..
MacVeagh in the Cabinet, kick he never so
hard, and make him take upon himself the
odium which belongs to him alone. for. by
negligence and too ready grasping for
notoriety, he has brought the star route cases
to the almost inevitable pass that the thieves
will get scot free.
Another thing about the great re:
former. There is in the Department of
Justice an old gentleman from Iowa who
has been there for years He has faithfully
performed his duties In looking around for
places for his Pennsylvania reformers of the
same stripe as himself MacVeagh struck upon
this aged office holder, who for sixteen years
has faithfully performed his duties. AS he
seemed to have no friends, MacVeagh thought
to give him an indefinite leave of absence with
out pay. He could find nothing against him.
But so great reformer is he that he staid in
the Office one afternoon after Office hours when
| all the clerks had gone through, and personally
overhauled the contents of the aged office
holders desk, in the hope Of finding something
to hinge dismissal upon. What a business
for the Attorney General OF the United States
to be engaged in And again, MacVeagh has
two boys of about the age when office holding
becomes possible in a lucrative form. He had
sent for these young men, and had them here
ready to take places in the department under
him when Garfield was shot. That calamity
served the purpose of keeping the two young
MacVeaghs from the public crib. l hope this
tale carries its moral with it: MacVeagh was
professional reformer. He is one of class
he was at the head of that class. They gain
reputation by preaching reform, and when
they get in place on the strength of that
preaching, do more to debauch the pub
lie service than a dozen men who make
no attempt at cOncealing that they
believe the best way to deal with the govern
ment is to get all out of it possible There has
not been an instance in the history of the pub
| lie service where man who came in as pro-
| fessional Ieformer has not turned out worse
| than the public debauchee whom he succeed
| ed The professional reformer has not been
| brought to the public notice at all prominently
| until MacVeagh appeared as the type Of the
| professionals is nothing else. MacVeagh's
| predecessors as reformers who got Office did
not get as big a one as came to him, therefore
| they did not attract the attention that has
| centered upon MacVeagh. He will serve as a
lesson. Reform in the rotten civil service
| of the government is not to be accom-
plished through the, professional re-
| former. 1t must be done by the
heads of practical business men-men
| who are so situated-if they can be found
who have no private ends to subserve. Until
such men are found who are willing to under
take the work there need be no hope Of re-
| form, President Arthur can do more in this
| direction than any of his predecessors since
| the government became corrupt, because the
| times are ripe for the undertaking. 1t remains
| to be seen whether he will take the tide at the
| flood. In the meantime it is certainly conso-
lation to know that in the person of MacVeagh,
the high priest of the board Of professional re
| formers, that company has been exposed as
| target under the sunlight of publicity. The
professional reformer must be buried.
PoFOMAO