The Hickman courier., 1882-10-13
A Model Civil Service Reformer!

A Model Civil Service RefOrmer!
The Philadelphia Press (Rep.,) hav-
ing heard from Maine, is already push
ing MIR. Blaine for the nomination in
1884, and ind Gates both the quantity
and quality of its enthusiasm by repre-
senting him as GiyiEservice Reformerl
The following are from an elaborate ed
itorial on that interesting and amusing
subject:
'' Mr.. Blaine's espousal of the cause of Civ
i[seryice Reform is valuable in two direc-
tons. In the first place il Is the most signih-
cant testimony to the great progress of this
cause and the most tangible proof that il has
passed into the realm of practical politics. In
the second place, il secures the invaluable
support OF powerful leader who brings
sound sense and great influences TO its advo-
cacy. Mr. Blaine has never thrived
on the spoils system. His power never came
from the dispsnsation of the Offices Always
q leader, he was never boss. He has relied
for his ascendancy. not upon the force of a
machine founded on patronage but upon the
leadership Of tn public thought on vital pub
lie questions IL need not be pretended that
he IS oyer-scrup pulous in these matters or that
he would not heip his friends wherever he
could He is q consummnte politician in the
higher sense and not above using the political
forces. Mr.. Blaine'5 s enl stment in the
ranks Of Civii-serv ce ReforrI1ers comes. there
fore, not from disappointment. but from
pereept on of the growing sentiment and the
growing necessity. 1t is another illustration
self at the head Of great movements Of the
public mind"
1t is difficult to discuss seriously such
statements and conclusions as these,
which are most ridiculous 10 those most
familiar with MIR. Blaine political ante
cedents. His alleged conversion to
Civil-serviee Reform is simply a shrewd
move in the Presidential game. Were
there possibility of his obtaining the
nomination from the Stalwarts. notonly
would the conversion never have oc-
Cured, but he would rot have hesitated
to indorse and emphasize Butler asser-
ton that . ours is the best Civil Service
in the world.n and denounce the re-
formers as a set of meddling fools or
crazy fanatics. As, however, his only
hope of success is in the aDti-Stalwarts,
and as they are supposed to be more or
less favorable to reform, be trims his
sails accordingly and is now waiting
anxio sly for the breeze to blow. He
will wait a long while if the antis really
sympathize with reform and have sense
enough to discriminate between the
genuine and the spurious article. Mr..
Blaine is not reformer even in the
mildest meaning of the word In an
unusually long public lie he has had
abundant opportunity and provocation
to show himself such, and never has
done so; never so much as hintcd a del
sire to do so. On the contrary. all his
principles and practices during tha
period when his influence in the Repub-
lican party was greatest were opposed
to reform: and he was in close alliance
at all times with its bitterest enemies,
giving them silent, if not outspoken,
aid and comfort. In 1876 he was near
er the object of his ambition than he is
likely to be again. Was he the reform
candidate at Cincinnati, and beaten on
that account is it not a notorious fact
that he was practically the candidate of
the anti-reformers?- ?-or at any rate re-
garded as more friendly to them than to
their opponentsp Would the whisky
ring organs have supported him as they
did, and howled as they did over his de-
feat, if there had been an atom OF re-
form in his composition?
Mr. Blaine has suddenly become con-
servative because he failed to make rad
icalism pay. In 1876 he was the leader
of the Stalwarts; indeed, the inventor
of the name. His bid for the Presiden-
tial nomination was in the shape OF
speeches fitly characterized as - bloody
shirt:' speeches deliberately designed
to revive and intensity sectional animos-
tiles and prevent any real unon be-
tween North and South; speeches
which, delivered as they We're long
after the war closed and its excitement
had died away. stamped the author as
an unscrupulous and dangerous dema-
gogue. who would not hesitate 10
. build his greatness on his country
rtlin.'' The bid was rejected, and from
H. hoc
slowly vet steadily changing front:
First he threw away the :. bloody shirt, >
then he abandoned Stalwartism. then
smiled sweetly upon the South, ard
finally comes forward as the euloglst OF
the beauties and blessings OF Civil
service Reform We believe him to be
at heart precisely the same in 1882 that
he was in 1876 We'believe that inter-
est, not principle. is the moving cause
of his change of front; that he is an
anti-Stalwart now because he has moth
mo to expect from the Stalwarts; that
he is a reformer now because the Gpti-
reformers are against himi that hs re-
form professions are 8 from the lips
out" and to be valued as such. Blaine
has ALWAYS been "a boss' when he
could be; is one by nature as well as
education. He has .relied upon the
force of the machine whenever there
was a ..machine'' at his disposal, and
in "using the political forces has
stopped at nothing tnat could serve his
purpose. His :. enlistment in the ranks
of Civil-service Reformers comes from
disappointment" and not from any
perception of anything beyond his
own political prospects. 1t may be
s.another illustration of his penetration
and sagacity,' but if honest Republican
reformers give the new convert a front
seat in their church, their penetration
and sagacity'' must be of the poorest
possible sort. ST Louis Republican.
The African expedition, under
Stanley, sent out by the King of Bel
giun. is said to have established the
first four of line of stations which
starting from the Congo. will, for com
merciaI purposes. tap the most popu
lous districts of Central Africa These
four stations are described as cities Il
embryo. They possess houses and gar
dens; they are connected by well-con
structed roads, and at each Europeal
acts as chief of the community, havin;
another European as sub-chief' =
Herald.