The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-11-22
Their Opportunity.

The Democracy will have q majority in
the next House of Representatives of from
fifty to seventy-five, sufficient to enable
them to carry any measure they might
agree upon, and, ii they choose, 10 make
favorable record for themselves. Wheth-
er they will be wise enough to embrace
the opportune occasion and give us such
reforms in legislation and administration
as they have been advocating, remains to
be seen. Unfortunately, however, for our
confidence in their sincerity, we already
hear enough of their intentions with refer
ence to civil service and other reforms to
warrant US in saying that the man must
be very innocent who expects them to prac-
tice what they have so loudly preached.
The Tribune shows the hypocrisy of their
pretensions in the following article, and
we predict that the result will show the
truthfulness of its prophecy:
''The degree of credit which the public
generally have given to the Democratic
professions of zeal for Civil Service reform
is fairly shown by the tone of comment
upon the recent Democratic success and
the prospect of their carrying the country
in 1884 1t might be expected that Repub-
icans should put no faith in them and
that Republican office-holders, however
competent experienced and faithful, should
be in something of a worry over prospect
i've dismissal, Notwithstanding all the
Democratic protestations that their coming
to power should be the Inauguration of a
new era in politics, in which there should
be no removals except for cause and no
appointments except upon the grounds of
fitness and capacity. Nor is it very strange
that the general public, having had consid-
erable experience Of Democratic profess
ions before election and practice after, and
putting small confidence in them accord
ingly, should take it for granted that Dem
ocratic success in 1884 would be followed
by general overturning in the Federal
officers. from the heads of departments
down to messengers and scrub-women.
But it is little remarkable that the DEM
ocrats themselves should so soon throw off
their disguise, and almost before the ink
is dry in which their promises were writ
ten assume that no one ever suspected
them of an intention to carry them out.
"These gentlemen, who were so profuse
of promises before the election to put down
the practice of making removals from Of
fee for political reasons, and appointing
men to Office as reward for party services
were chuckling within twenty four hours
after the results of the election were known
over the grand sweep of Republican office
holders that would presently be made and
the distribution ofplaces among Democrat
ic partisans- There is no place within the
gift of Cleveland, no matter
how well and capably filed by Repub-
lican at this moment, that there are not
scores of candidates for already; and there
is not mothers son of them that does
not base his expectation and his claim upon
simple party service. 1t is just so with the
places that fall within the appointment of
Governor-electButler, of Massachusetts,,
Governor elect Waller, of Connecticut and
all the other Democratic functionaries
who came in on last weeks tidal wave, in
cluding the Democratic majority in the
next Congress. There is no place within
the gift of Democrat that will not be i'm
mediately filed by Democrat, and in
not one single instance will the test for the
appointment be other than that of party
service, pure and simple.
''This may seem broad and sweeping
statement, but the pity Of it is, it is so alb
solutely true that no intelligent person will
have the hardihood to deny it 1t is not
merely charged by Republicans or assumed
by the public: it is openly and shamelessly
admitted by the Democrats themselves; by
the very hypocrites who less than fort
night ago were rending the air with their
clamor against the prostitution of the pub
lie service by making partisanship the test
for Office. No Republican now holding an
Office that viii become subject to the dis
posal of Democratic Governor or DEM
ocratic Congress has the slightest hope or
expectation of keeping his place; and no
Democratic Governor or a Democratic
Congress would dare retain him, whatever
his merits or his claims. II is right here
at the very threshold of its entrance upon
power that the Democratic party eEcount-
ers the first test of its sincerity, and it is
significant of its utter shamelessness that
it does not wait even to be tempted, but
proclaims even now its premeditated de-
ceit and bald hypocrisy. The true charac-
ter ofthe Democratic party finds its best
illustration in the fact that of all its repre-
sentatives who were elected last week
upon the ground of Civil Service reform
there is not one who would not laugh in
the face of the simple citizen who should
ask him today to regulate his administra-
ton by the rules which he was loudly adj
vocating less than fortnight ago.