New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-01

three children. Clearly she was insane. For
some time Mrs. Seguin has been desponuon',
and her friends have felt the necessity OF
watching her closely; although there seemeu
TO be no call for personal restraint. IL was
the anxiety of her brother that led to the as
coyery of the dreadful truth. Dr. Amidon
called at DIR. Seguin's house to inquire ABOUT
his sister and learning that she was not 10
be found began to search for her. A maid
servant said that the door OF the spare room
on the top floor was locked on the INSIDE.
The troubled brother broke it down and found
Mrs. Seguin and her three children dead. ohe
had shot herself and them. The entire COM
mupity. friends and strangers alike, VIII be
united in deep sorrow for DR.. Seguin but his
is grief that cannot be assuaged by human
sympathy.
There seems to be fair chance of electing
the Citizens ticket. Much hard and effective
work is doing in its behalf which ought to
tell next week. But there is growing belief
in some quarters that the Republican machine
leaders, who wanted to nominate straight"
ticket themselves, are giving a hearty support
only to Johnny 0'Brien, who is fit expo
nent of their management. Their apparent
object is to show the strength of the machine,
so that on settling day, which will come soon
after November z, they can retain their grip
on the Republican party in this city. The
plan is said to be to trade off their votes for
every candidate on the ticket except OBrlen,
and to make him County Clerk. 1t is painful
that this scheme is one very likely to COM
mend itself to the machine men. But the
election returns will indicate the state of the
case, and If it appears that such bargaining
and trickery have been going on, these I'M
scrupulous leaders may find that they have
overreached themselves, This is bad year
for trifing with the people.
Mr. William Walter Phelps, the Republican
candidate for Congress in the With District OF
New-Jersey, has written letter about the civil
service which will commend itself to
all believers in practical reform in this direc-
ton. Mr.. Phelps condemns emphatically the
practice of political assessments on Government
employees by means of which large sums of
money are extorted from them to be expended by
irresponsible committees nobody knows how.
He points out the necessity of adequate legislation
to break down and destroy such combinations
against the interests of the people. But MIR,
Phelps does not stop there. He shows that
legislation will not accomplish everything
and that if the laws against civil
service corruption are to be effectual they
must be supplemented by the active and
watchful supervision of a Jealous and
determined public opinion. Then it
would be dangerous for either Presi-
dent or Congressman to attempt to
manipulate the civil service for par
tisan ends. These last considerations are
too often forgotten by Over-zealous civil
service reformers. They seem to think
that stringent legislation is all that
is needed. Mr.. Phelps's letter cannot
fail to strengthen the estimation in which his
fellow citizens hold him, and to. assure them.
if such assurance is necessary, that he will
prove an efficient public servant.