Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-10-20
A Model Civil Service RefOrmerl

The Philadelphia Press (Rep., } hav.
ing heard from Maine. is already push
ing Mr.. Blaine for the nomination in
1884, and indicates both the quantity
and quality of its enthusiasm by repre-
senting him as a Civil-service Reformer!
The following are from an elaborate ed
itorial on that interesting and amusing
subject:
"Mr. Blaine's espousal OF the cause of Civ
llser'ice Reform T. valuable in two direc-
tons In the first place, IL is the most signif-
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
Nhe second place, " secures the invaluable
support OF powerful leader who brings
sound sense and great influence TO its advo-
cacy. Mr.. Blaine has never thrived
on the spells system. His power never came
from the dispensatiOn OF the Offices. Always
leader, he was never n boss. He has relied
for his ascendancy. not upOn the force of a
machine founded ON patronage, but upon the
leadership of the public thought on vital pub
Tic questions. IL need not be pretended that
he Is over~scrupulOus In these matters or that
he would not help his friends wherever he
could. He Is n cOnsummate politician I'm the
higher sense and not above using the political
forces. Mr. Dlaine's enlistment in the
ranks OfCivtl-Servco Reformers comes. there
fore, not from disappointment but from a
perception OF the growing sentiment and the
growing necessity. IL Is another illustration
self az the head of great movements Of the
public mind"
IL is difficult to discuss seriously such
statements and conclusions as these,
which are most ridiculous to those most
familiar with Mr.. Blaine political ante.
cedents. His alleged conversion to
Civil-service Reform is simply shrewd
move in the Presidential game. Were
there a possibility of his obtaining the
nomination from the Stalwarts, notonly
would the conversion never have oc-
CURED, but he would not have hesitated
90 indorse and emphasize Butler asser-
ton that ours is the best Civil Service
IN the world" and denounce the re.
CORNERS rs set of meddling fools OF
crazy fanatics. AS, however, his only
nope of success is in the anti-Stalwarts.
and as they are supposed to be more OIL
less favorable to reform, he trims his
sails accordingly and is now waiting
anxiOusly for the breeze to blow. He
will wait long while if the ants really
sympathize with reform and have sense
enough to discriminate between the
genuine and the spurious article. Mr.
Blaine IS not n reformer even in the
mildest meaning of the word In an
unusually long public life he has haC
abundant opportunity and provocatior
TO show himself such, and never ha.
done so; never so much as limited de
sire to do SO. On the contrary, all hi.
principles and practices during tn,
period when his influence in the Repub
lican party was greatest were opposed
To reform; and he was in close aliianc,
ut 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 i
likely To be again. Was he the reform
candidate at Cincinnati, and beaten OF
that account Is it not notorious fac
that he was practically the candidate O
the anh-reformersp-or at any rate re
gdrded rs more friendly to them than L
their oppOnents3 Would the whisky
ring organs have supported him as the
did, and howled as they did over his dc
feat, If there had been an atom of re
form in his composition?
Mr.. Blaine has suddenly become con
sentative because he failed to make rad
icalism pay. In 1876 he was the leade
oil the Stalwarts; indeed, the invento
OF the name. His bid for the Presideu
tai nomination was in the shape O
speeches fifty characterized as "biood
shrt; speeches deliberately designe,
to revive and intensity sectional animos
lilies and prevent any real union be
tween North and South; speeche
which, delivered as they were Ion,
alter the war closed and its excitemen
had died away, stamped the author a
an inscriptions and dangerous dema
gogue. who would not hesitate I
build his greatness on his country
ruin The bid was rejected, and fror
that day till this Mr.. Blaine has bee
slowly yet steadily changing from,
FIRST he threw away the I" bloody shirt.
then he abandoned Stalwartism, the
smiled sweetly upon the South. an
hnally comes forward as the eulooist .
the beauties and blessings of Civil
service Reform. We believe him TO b
at heart precisely the same in 1882 thu
he was in 1876. We believe that infer
est, not principle. is the moving cans
oil his change of front; that he Is a,
anti-Stalwart now because he has noth
ing TO expect from the Stalwarts. tba
ne Is reformer now because the ant
reiOrmers are against him; that h;s ~
form professions are from the li,,
out and to be valued as such. Blain
mas always been "a boss" when
could be; Is one by nature as well !
education He has "relied upon m
force OF the machine whenever ther
was machine" at his disposal. An
IN using the political forcesH ba
stopped at nothing that could serve hi
purpose. His enlistment in the ranL
OF Civil-service Reformers comes fro,
disappointment" and not from an
perception" of anything beyond n
own political prospects. 1t NAV h
another illustration of his penetrate
and sagacity," but II honest Republics
reformers give the new convert a froT
seat IN their church, their ''penetratio
ana sagacity" must be of the poore,
POSSIBLE sort-SL Louis Republican,