The Evening critic., 1882-10-03
Blaine and the "Rerormers..,

Mr.. Carl Schurz is very good type of
the professional reformer. Greedy and
selfish he only adopted the reform dodge
after he had failed to control the Federal
patronage of Missouri, in which State the
notorious Hessan left his carpet-bag long
enough to get the office of United States
Senator. Later, after making reform
speeches for so much pay, he became n
member of President Hayes Cabinet. 1t
was said, and generally believed, that his
appointment to the Cabinet was the result
of bargain and sale. Certainly his conduct
of his Office was not such as to discredit
this version OF the way his appointment to
it came about. AS Secretary of the Inte-
rior he was called on to render decision
in regard to certain lands granted TO and
forfeited by the Northern Pacific Railway
Company. The decision he made was
favorable to the company and redounded to
its profit by millions. The head and front
of this company is Henry Willard.
Mark the sequel. Within few months
after Mr.. Schurz retired from office, this
same Henry Willard bought the New York
Erening Post newspaper and installed Mr..
people denounced this transaction as
another instance Of bargain and sale.
Really there is nothing singular about IL.
Isn't Thomas l.. James, another professional
reformer, now reaping the reward Of his
subserviency to Mr.. Vanderbilts interests2
Is not the laborer worthy of his hire? If
Willard and Vanderbilt (both Vs-suggest-
i've initialsD are content with their bargain,
why should we outsiders kick?
Well, Mr.. Schurz, in his capacity as q
reform editor, has seen Gt to attack Mr..
Blaine. Mr.. Schurz, reform editor (at 50
much money reform), says of the wicked
Mr.. Blaine, among other things, that as
soon as he entered Garfield's Cabinet he
"began at once TO commit and advise every
form Of Civil Service abuse" aud "he plunged
Into spoils and wallowed IN them like a rhl-
noceros In an African pool"
of these Wholesale charges Mr.. Blaine,
who is not man to take kindly to clsti-
cation, says that they are
''untrue I'm whole ana In detail, meauly anu
maliciously untrue-so absolutely untrue
that mere Is not one fact or shadow of fact to
sustain thom."
And then the bold bad man from Maine
goes on unteelingly to remark.
81 challenge Mr.. schurz u bring forward
not n hundred, not ilfty, not twenty, no. ten +,
not Ave Instances OF the kind he charges, but t
challenge him to bring forward ono-iust
one / propose to put him to tho test OF his
responsibility as a journalist, anl of his We.
racity as private gentleman, who Is bound
TO be careful In his statements"
Not content with this vigorous challenge
7 Mr. R1oin nr l.
to point out shortcomings on Mr.. Schuz'i
part, as though it is possible that u profess
sional reformer could fail to carry ont his
alleged principles when in Office, a3 fol-
lows:
"After great flourish of trumpats By o sys.
tom Of competitive examinations In tho Ia.
terror Department, they wero quietly abln.
doned by Mr. schurz. Aud during tho lasi
year he abandoned thom oven rs applicable to
promotions from one grado to another where
the competitors were few and the examine
tion practicable. He foil back on tho OLD rule
ana promoted those recommended by tho
chiefs OF divisions aud heads OF bureaus.
l know, moreover, that during 1Ir. SshuH' q
last year In oflce no appointed soma 1900
clerks In the Census Bureau without pro-
tense OF competitive examination. Ana Il
ever competitive examination was applicable,
IL was IN these cases, whero quicknes5 at
figures was tho required faculty in nlne.t3nths
of tho appOintees, and that was easily deter.
minable by examination. Not only ala sIr,
schurz make all these appointments against
HIS own yaunted rules Of Civil Service, bul
no made them In violation OF law, In not even
requiring the preliminary examination pre-
scrbed In what Is known as the II. NJ. II. hun
ter statute Of 1857"
Just how Mr.. schurz likes to be thus