Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-04-21
a Serious Republican Confession.

Inc CINCINNATI COmWefcldti tne per
sonal organ of the head of the late
fraudulent Administration, and the
Ohio representative of the present Pres
ident, took occasion last week to ex-
alt its voice in favor of immediate
strife in the Republican party. 1t
said:
If Senator Conkling wages war upon
the Garfield Administration in the spr
it in which it has been opened by the
journals that made a speciality OF the
third term, it is the duty of the Presi
dent to use his whole power to teach
the Senator the virtue OF discretion. III
he wants peace on terms becoming rea
souable beings with responsibilities he
can have it without trouble. but II he Is
resolved upon war the Administration
owes 1t TO the country and the Repuhl
can party and its own seltrespect to de
fend and sustain itself by instant, inces
SAINT, and relentless aggression. and the
full employment OF the war club and
the scalping knife.
This has had the effect of startling
the New York Times into q genuine
political confession. The Times j. an
opponent of Conkling; but an organ
of Grant and the third term. IL has
always claimed TO be respectable, but
it never fails to be partisan in the
presence Of an emergency. During a
campaign it condones its party's sins
with zeal. When the political world
is at peace it sometimes exposes them.
Its present remarkable avowal is Us
follows
The enormous increa in the extent,
cost, and power of the civil service,
which was made necessary by the war,
came at time when the country was
deeply moved in regard to questions Of
life aud death. la filling the offices
then created it was inevitable that Re.
publicaEs should be chosen almost ex.
clusiyeIy. That was in accordance with
cdstom, and at the time the opponents
OF the Republican party were regarded
as directly or indirectly in sympathy
with the rebellion. IL would have been
practically impossible to adopt the
policy OF q non.partissn ciyilservice.
So there commenced that system of
Senatorial influence, amounting often
to dictation. OF which men OF the type
of Mr.. Conkling became the natural
exponents, as they were. also. is natur.
al fruit. The period when intense par.
tisanship was logically the same as
patriotism passed away. but the partisan
system OF appointments remained be.
cause il served the interest of "A vast
army Of politicians, from the Senators
down to the primary managers. II vas
bad system, unconstitutional, unTe.
publican, unbusin like. unjust and
improbable for the country and the
party IN power as we'll. 1t nearly ruin.
ed the Republican party aud 1t cost the
country not only millions Of dol!ars.
but many delays IN the righting OF the
currency, many errors in the reorganiz.
alton of the South, many hlundcrs in
our fiscal Laws for year after year the
real issues in politics were put aside or
trItled with to save the patronage to
the men who enjoyed it. The Govern.
ment was benumbed, the party was
rendered cowardIy by the wreiched
system which placed the political ma
chinery in the hands of men who ran
it mainly for the spoils. Unquesiiona.
bly,, Mr. Conkling is product Of that
system.
The Washington Post remarks with
great force that "this is most inn
portant contribution to the political
history Of the country, in matter and
in fact. 1t places the responsibility
for the invention of this disgraceful
system of machine politics " upon
the shoulders of the Republican party,
where it belongs. Such credit as it
deserves for its frankness,. The Times
will receive"