The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1882-12-16
eotte,peussucs.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. G, Dec. 9Th, lss2

repentenee. Repentance IS good a
any time, perhaps, but it Is too late
to secure reprieve or communication
The execution of the sentence o.
banishment must 60 on, must be
thorough in 1884, when, in the Sc
questration oil private life, the men
who have governed and legislate5
so ruinously will have time for in
dlvidaal, but not tor party, repen
tence, History is merciless, as i
should be, for unfortunately Their,
is no other future punishment fol
condemned political parties. The
"hmls meet iorrcpentenee that thu
Republicans appear to be bringing
to the altar just now are a reduc
ton oftaxanon aud civil service re
form. They are quite willing to re
form the civil service so IS to giFs
stability Of tenure for the next 81,
years to the 100000 office holders
all OF Thorn placed in office by the
Republican members and senators
as reward for such political pnrti-
zan work as il must BIO tho object oil
all genuine civil service reform 10
correct, The bill proposed, If pass
ed, would secure offices TO those
whom Hayes appointed in reward
tor a crime the most monstroHs in
the annals of time. 1t would make
investigation of all the theft and adj
ministrative lawlessueSs of the last
twenty years impossible, for it
would leave the appointees OF Sher-
man, Robson, and Belknap IN pos.
session of the archives of the gov
eminent offices. 1t would continue
in places Of honor and trust hun
dreds of lha appointees Of Senators
Malone, kellogg, Elk Senators Dor.
sey and Spencer. No policy could
be more wrong in theory or practice
than to discharge hundred thou
sand clerks for no better reason
than that they are Republicans, bHt
that no real reform can take place
until several thousand dishonest and
incompetent clerks are discharged
is a fact we'll known to those who
are acquainted with the routine
personnel of the government offices
here. Last week President Arthur
discharged hslta-doaan, persons, for
alleged sympathy with the Star
Route defendants. II all the aotiye
sympathizers with the crimes by
which prominent Republicans, and
the Republican party, have profted
were discharged, Mt least 90, 900 gov.
eminent employees would JOIN the
procession.
IT is evident that the people are
aroused on the subject of civil ser
vice reform, and i, is evident that
the President and Congress have
heard from the people. 1t is not a
very striking or tangible subject,
not subject OK which 1t Is easy to
arouse popular indignation, for the
reason that it is almost impossible
to make its iniqulties paIpable to
Itho-avorage voter, There is moth.
ing picturesque about it. Nothing
sufficiently sensational to attract
popular attention, except when a
Secretary of War sells a post-tra-
der-ship, or an Elk Senator and
Postmaster General steal by the
million from the Postotlice Depart.
ment, But it is one of the most
hopeful indications of our time that
public attention is at last earnestly
directed to the necessity of purify
ing the most important branch Of
the government service and estab-
fishing it on business like basis.
Some of your readers will remem-
Der that | have made this matter
the subject of many letters during
the last seven years, My tier alton,
has, perhaps, been tedious to some,
but apart from earning my pay, |
desire to tell the truth about men
and things at the Capitol, and, sc
far ms am able, to reform abuses
by exposing them. | have lived
eleven years in Washington, and,
during the first eighteen months o.
my residence, ! was government
clerk. Mine is not hear.say testi
mony. | have been behind the
scenes, and when | have said there
is dishonesty, idleness, monstrou'
extravaganza, criminal negligence,
and capital incompetency IN every
department of tho mammoth ciyi
service OF the United States, I bu
tell what saw in the Department
where | served, what have seer
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