The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-10-29
SPIRIT OF THE HOUR.

SHlkll Ot i HE f1OOK.
Says the Pttsburg Guseiie "Mr. Van
derbllt has concluded that the exgencles of the
demand the reputation of that public be- In
teTview and he does II wholesale. The only trouble
Is that after the experiences OF Mr. Nanderbit's
veracity the public viii be likely to accept almost any
Chicago reporters word before the railway kings
Howard Carroll having denied that he
paid the state COMMITTEES Si5 900 for his nomination
the Tribune editOriay replies: " Nobody said the
candidate had or suspected he could pay Sl5, 000 or
| any other sum. The youth only offered to pay It
when lie was hanging about the State Committee
rooms begging for the nomination and button. hoing
acqualntances to ntercede with the committee for
him. OF that alidlvlts can be produced, whenever
needful.'
The Buffalo Express (Rep0 says: We
have private information To the effect that the Adj
minstratOn's desperate managers of FOlgers hope
less cause expecting to 'astonsh the natives on
the eve of election with bigger political deal UO
their own phrase0logy) than has before been
consummated in this State II Is said that secret
| bargain has been made with the principal railroad
magnates for securing at least 90 900 votes for FOgcr
that would otherwise naturally he cast for Cleveland
Not word Is to be said nor thing done about 1t
until about three days before election, when the
1ers to go out suddenly, and To he carried ont
systematically and arbitrarily that the Job will be
completed before anybody has time TO think aboutit.
| Mr.. John Arnot, the Democratic candidate
for Congress In the Twenty ninth New York District
says in his letter OF acceptance: 81 am Democrat hut
| am business man'as well, aud believe that the
administration OF the Government should be con-
that the great political evil OF to-day Is maadnins
tration, and that prompt remedy is demanded. The
civil service OF the Government should be conducted
as is the military branch Party service should not
be the test for office, but fitness for position should
alone be regarded in the selection of public servants.
The assessment OF holders for political purposes
is only outrage their rights citizens, but
is an evil which threatens the very existence of
publican institutions. The Interference of Federal
officers in political conventions State national, is
gross abuse, to which an end should be put immc-
dlately.''
A staff correspondent of the Boston Post,
(Dem.. } writing from Virginia, says: "There ap-
pears to be general breaking up OF the Readiuster
party all the State and the leaders unable to
conceal their anxiety at the symptoms revolt. The
for this It is not dcult to understand There
thousands of voters all over the State who believed
In the read ustent OF the State debt and In accord
with those convictions acted with the ReadIuster
party this issue, and on this issue alone That
debt question las been taken out of politics by
Its reference to the Supreme Court even the Read
,nsa tV Question at BEST the voters. Who we're
always Democrats as far rs national affairs are con-
cerned, naturally expected to fail back into their
places In the ranks of the regular Democratic party.
And that IL Just exactly what is happening. Now
that 1t is plain to be seen that Read usterls is simply
and solely Republcanism under another name, Its
former supporters are leaving It,.
The Philadelphia Times says with much
truth Of the '' Effects of Uncertain Tenure - that:
'There Is phase of the Government service In the
Departmental at Washington and elsewhere which the
public seldom gets a glimpse Of, but which Is worth
the careful consideration of all thoughtful citizens
tenure, the great majority OF the clerks liable to
lose their places at the end Of few years. either at
the demand Of partisan boss or because of Change
In partisan supremacy. The salaries of the incun-
bents, after being assessed by the various partisan
committees, do not allow Of anything more than
comfortable living and leave nothing for accumula-
tion for declining years. The clerk, however, gives
the best years OF Ills life frequently to this service
and becomes totally unified Tor ANYTHING else when
| he loses his place, which he is almost certain to do
| sooner later. In view of these facts the wonder
naturally Is why anybody with brains and capabty
m tuF ,,F lmua EInulH
Vice Iii the Government employ. The true answer is
probably TO be found In the fact that many
enter the service without proper know-
edge of these conditions. They learn by
bitter experience when II Is too late to remedy
the matter. The evils arising from this condition OF
the service are twOfOd. Tho best and most capable
men who exercise reasonable amount OF foresight In
regard 10 their own future arc deferred from enter
Ing the Government employment and TINS the Gov
ernment Is deprived OF their services. aud class OF
| paupefs aud tOadles arc engendered, who will lend
themselves to the most disgTaceful partisan service
not because they want to dc It, but because they do
| not know what else to do to get living. Washing
ton Is full OF these people, Who II they should lose
or by political revolution, would not know where to
lay their heads The only remedy for these evils is
complete and radical reform OF the Civil Service.
Let there be n nxed tenure OF once, with chance
| for promotion for merit and for other reason
Then compel tho plundering harpies OF the Ilubbcll
Malone stripe TO keep their hands OIL the salaries of
the incumbents, 80 that prudent man may have =
chance to lag by something for old age. The result
Will be much better service to the Government and
class OF selfrespecting, self-sustaning employees,
Instead OF the horde OF political paupers that now
| swarm In the various departments,
And as to the shamelessness with which
assessments were levied upon public servants says
| the ECeniRg Post, observed long ago that the
scandal Of this practice would drive away far more
votes from the Republican party than all the money
| that might be raised by such system of backina-
Ing could buy. hut 1t Is certain that neither OF these
| things nor combination Of them would have driven
| so large number of voters from the Republican
ranks had there been great public ques on of
shadowing Importance on which the voters would
have felt compelled to take sides, and which would
have made them overlook things Of less immediate
consequence. Hut there being such issue, the
dlnary Republican voter ceased to be impressed with
the necessity OF party victory, and many thousands
of them thought this excellent time 10 punish the
| party for It's shortcomings conclusion which some
arrived at with regret, and others with a certain
relish Of tho opportunity. Thus the temperance
| matter, the reyiling OF Garnelds memory hnd the
appointment Of unpopular politicians became
| CamerOns and the Interference Of the Admin
lstratlon with State affairs, and the Could
| ConklnR combination, and fraud and for
| gery'' are causes working out similar effects In
| PENNSYLVANIA aud New York, while the assessment
scandal is producing Its impression everywhere Tho
fact ia that people have begun TO care for the
effects Of party rule than for tho sancitY Of party al
legance, or for the fortunes 0f tho party itself.
That this Indifference To party as such should result
In the heaviest blows against tho party In power Is
but natural 1t Is also natural that IL should In
case most largely affect the Republican party for ths
| Republican party contains the greatest proportion OF
independent elements. ON tie whole, thls Is not an
unhealthy condition Of things at all It Is under
look at and To treat questions ~ public concern upon
their proper merits unbiased by mere party In
terest. Ana that Is what tho country really needs
although the professional politicians whose only cap
ial consists n their party standing may not Ike A.
ono OF the peculiar features Of the present situation Is
that the shrewdcst Democratic politicians are quite
sincerely and seriously alarmed At the greatness OF
their success, and especially AZ the prospect VI large
Democratic majority In the n0Nt House u represent
atlyes, They fear lest the Democratic party as on
former occasions, when In possession Of great power
win not know what 10 do with It's OppOrtunites that
II VIII again alarm the country by an in1udclOuB use
OF Its power, aud thus forfeit the confidence NJ the
conservative citizen and destroy It's chances for q
Democratic victory In the Presidential election of
1854. The apprehension Is well supported By past
experience, aud to fact that tho shreWd Democratic
politician Is dlBqueted by 1t shows that the indie
pendent spirit now prevailing Is growing strong
enough to become cause Of serious dread To party
men on both sides. This condition Of things usually
precedes great changes In the grouping OF political
forces and new party formations the advent Of which
would, have no doubt, bo hailed with great salts
faction 10y untold thousands Of Republicans and Dem
Ucrats alike,
wonderful.
On last Friday, while getting out stone
In his quarry Just south Of this city O. W. Detfen-
baugh made OF the most wonderful discoveries on
the present age. It became necessary TO split mas.
afy lAl lI IA IL l..