Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-08-27
The "RosUER BARONs" OF POLITICS

II isnot easy to say which is the more
remarkable, the capacity OF usage for blind
ing MS 10 its injuStice0snd disastrous eonSe-
uucnces, or the power Of bold arriasn-
ment Of a great wrong, in the name OF right
and duty for causing that wrong to be de-
tested
There are now in New York prominent
citizens, and among them chief justice
who were foremost for monument for Will
liam NJ. Tweed. Within this generation the
conscientious founder of a great New York
journal kept in his paper standing aaNer-
tisement declaring that his firm devoted It
self particularly to lottery printing.
Those are not very old who have seen angry
nobs threatening a noble Christian woman
IN New England villages for the crime OF
teaching negro girls to read. Tens OF thou
sands in the South to-day denounce as
wrong the peculiar institution for which
they ConScientiously tOughtand generations
of their parents and pastors had deyoutly
I.rsyed. Treating the institution as too
sacred 10 he questioned, its Votaries de-
ltunGEO lUOSt " Ho GuAAACAAACN ~ -
Neither Manly Nor Honorable"
rs congressman Hubbell now denounces
George William Curtis for challenging ''Po-
i;tical cxtortion" in the form OF political
assessments. Not long since cock fights
dog lights and man fights were part Of the
standard amUsements; and politics were rs
harbarous. In the fifteen hundred and six
;v-fve secular days preceding 1871, there
were one thousand six hundred and seven
ty-cisht removals in the New York Custom
House to enforce assessments, or otherwise
crafty the greed and saysgery Of Partisans,
with hardly more public attention than to
the Strengthening Of 80 many hogs. In the
last four years not one removal has been
made in that Office or in the New York
PuStOffice without good cause, and repeti,
ton of the sayagery OF the last decade would
make an administration infamous.
The Great senator From New York.
as his feudal DEFENDANTS called him, SA'
the srCh.Sneerer at civil service reform.
While he now lies hOpelcssly mired in the
SpOils system bog. senator Miller. upon
whom the Senatorial leadership has fallen
in the Empire State, declares in late
speech, that the conflict between the Sys-
ttm of patronage and that al merit i as lr-
-eprcssible As the old conflict between lib
,rty and slavery" and predicts the carly
triumph Of that reform. In Pennsylvania,
the SpOils system Chieftaiu. lettering 10 h:S
al. has brought his party 10 the verge OF
defeat; so that, in sheer desperation. his
action fatty condemn the assessment eN-
tOrtion through which alone il has long
been filling it, treasury.
In the senate, of which four years ago,
there WIS not member prepared 10 speak
fnr civil service reform. and where the law
under which General Curtis has lately been
convicted for collecting assessments was -
amended a. ~ leave the SpOil> Of Senators
unimpaired. the Pendleton Bill em6Odying
the true principles of reform and condemn
ing assessments has Just been approved
by a committee, of which tavorlng mem
Der was Mr.. CamerOn's own colleague.
Within two years
More than Thirty Reform Associations,
extending to nearly all parts OF the mon,
have been formed, which, now support that
bill. ,
It is such a time. when. % -s'S' Oe 'ote'
tLOuFL.fDaf CIIlIeuS are organizing aSa'uSs
me SpOilS system, and the larger part OF
the best journalism OF their party, and al
most the whole literary and religious press
are denOuncjng that system, which Mr..
Hubbell and bi, Congressional committee
have chosen for forcing the most arbitrary,
insulting, and degrading part OF that sys-
TEN upon public attention. We do not
question their zeal for the Republican par
ty. And the writer wishes 10 say that he
has voted with that party from It's origin,
and that he feels 50 deep an interest IN Its
prosperity that he Is all the more anxious
To- avert the danger threatening II from TINS
Committed Their mistakes and miSfOr-
tunes have been that they have counted on
the binding influence OF usage without
COmprehending the signihce Of It's arraign-
Inent.
When the mandate of this hydra-headed
spoils system Caesar, declaring that all the
world Of our civil service should bow down
and be taxed was met by protest, scorn'
and denunciatiOn, We doubt not the pro
fe~sed surprise of the Committee was gems
ing. Disraei has defined pluck 10 be an
utter failure and inability 10 understand
public opinion.
In Boston,
Only one Journal OF Either Party.
We are assured, iustifies the eNtortion; ami
IN the State OF Massachusetts not more than
1--WE per cent of the Republican papers ap-
prove it. In Philadelphia, only one or two
pspers apologize or remain neutral, while
tie rest condemn the assessment In New
York city only one Republican journal ol
ChsraCter-together with the organ OF the
Iobbyists-stands for the committee. II
would, however, be unjust To the commit
tee to treat them alone as blind to puohC
opinion. Nest Of our chlettalns-calleu
statesmen by their admirers-have shown
rs much blindness. Did the three CHIEF
tains who pushed on Grant to his fate al
Chicago any better understand the feelings
of the people? Has Mr.. COnkling, in New
York. or Mr.. Cameron, in Pennsylvania,
shown more comprehension OF the public
opinion OF their States? But this Is to Dc
said to the credit of the committees chair
man, that he is the first to come before the
public with apology and argument-teeble
and ill-conceived as they have been. lie
iustifeS eNtortiou from clerks and navy
yard wOrkmen, by charging Democrats with
bull doing and using tissue ballots. The
excuse, however, is on q par with the boy
defense OF his mother against theft by
proving that q rival woman across the street
had been guilty of burglary and arson.
His other plea, that no one is shown TO
have been removed for failure 70 pay. IS
no better;
II n Even PIteOus-
Under the spoils system, before public
opinion had made chieitainS cautious and
stealthy, removals were unhesitalngly
made, as they now are indirectly, Tor re-
fuSals to pay assessments. Of late, public
opinion has made il too diSgraceful TO avow
failure 10 pay as the cause OF removal
Hence, from mere cowardice, the true
cause has been disguised. But the whole
of the civil service has been put under
such a sense of the peril from a refusal tc
pay-not the peril of removal merely, but
of losing promotion. OF hard tasks, short
vacations, long hours OF labor, and other
Gisagreeable treatment-that the fear thus
produced is the real cause both Of the as
sessments being made and Of its being pos
sible to collect them. Had political as
sessments been unknown down to our time
A. they were down to that OF Jackson, and
now are in every enlightened nation, can II
be doubted that an attempt without sane
ton of law, by . mere partisan COMMITTEES
of Congress. 10 eNtort from a single class oi
Citizens-and that a class Of small mean
and hard labor for the common good
vast sum Of money, unmeaSured, except BY
the caprice of that COMMUNICATION defray
Ing the election expenses OF the party IN
mower: can il be doubted that such 8
proposition would be universally denounc
ed IS
n.-,..,f to An JnSaiee and Deceney