The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-01-10

people mean to have pufihed auiiiiiie
tration. They mean to have respect ana
obedience on the part Of their servants
10 their interests and their will, not sub
seryiency 10 the party In power.
| am glad, sir, that from this or some
other cause a change has come over the
| spirit of the dreams Of many in reference
IN this subject. Whatever may be
the cause, the change is salutary to the
last degree. I;rejoice that now the race
seems TO be as 10 who shall 60 ahead,
who shall 20 furthest in the denuncla-
ton of the political practices and meth
DDS which this bill seeks to eradicate
Less than year ago civil-service reform
was a Jest and by-word among states
men and politicians and assessments OF
Federal office-holders to raise the means
of controlling elections was, if not open
. w defended as the right and proper
thing to do, vet at least apOlogized for
as harmless and venial peccadillo,
Unsuitable means to get and retain office.
The bill of the Senator from Ohio slept
on the table. 1t had but few friends,
, and it was not regarded as formidable
! enough, either in the vigor OF its pro-
visions or active opposition. | am not
sure sir, but that my honorable friend,
. the Senator from Ohio, (Mr. Pendlet0n)
! the author Of the bill was not regarded
? either as insincere in his advocacy OF
! the measure or as a visionary schemer,
! ot perhaps both. To-day, sir, all is
i changed. The levy of political assess
! ments is regarded, if not as great crime,
" at all events it is looked on as even
6 worse in the politicians creed, namely,
a as n serious blunder And more, sir, we
:, seem at last to have arrived, with singu
6 lar unanmity, at the conclusion that 8
= monopoly of Office by the party by right
=, of conquest at the polls, as Mr.. Webster
- called it, is not the safest and sures
20 means of retaining power
N At the beginning of my service in thi
d body placed myself fully and unequiv
N ocallv by the side of the honorable Sen
A. ator from Ohio (Mr. Pendleton) in ad
O. vocacy of this measure, and | gave hin
ID the assurance of my earnest sympath,
n and support in many anxious confer
" ences on this subject. So, sir, have NJ
to newborn zeal in my present support o
A. thislmeasure. have only more hope
lie more faith in its success, more faith il
g. our institutions, more confidence tina
a. whatever may be wrong in our politica
a. methods however strongly intrenched
f. will before it is too late, be correcte
ca by the good sense and patriotism of tn
It. American people.
e, The Republican party on this foo
lis seem to have caught something of tn
e. meaning of the recent elections. TIL
a President has not been unmindful c
'e- their grand lessons. Whether the cor
ut version be genuine or not | leave to tn
he determination of time. | must say, 81
be the conversion was rather sudden.
know nothing like it in all history, sacre
ce or profane, except the conversion of S
cd Paul.
&c Like him, they were stricken dow
X when they were in the very act of cor
he hitting the crime, now so much COZ
81 demned by them. Sir, in the very mid
at of the treasures, which they had gathert
Id by political assessments, and from Il
gs use Of which they had fondly hoped
a retain power, while yet the sighs an
ne groans of the poor women and lahore
IL whose property, whose livelihood eve
had been taken to swell the corruptic
he fund while yet was dripping from Il
MS political guilotine the blood of the inn
lp- cents who had been slaughtered to NAL
w vacancies to be filled by their favorit
or and followers, the blow fell and the co
to binary spectacle, that the President NJ
ed the Republican leaders have been
ve thoroughly convicted of the sin of poll
cd cal prescription and the levy Of polite
ut assessments that they come to Congre
he ON the very first day of the session al
to demand the speedy passage of law
m prevent them from lapsing again into t
~, crimes in the commission of which tn
IN have revelled for SO many long and jo
no GUS years of their prosperity and pow,
or, The demand, admit, is little ext
ID ordinary. 1t is very much like erin
lgs nal, in the daily practice of commit
use wrong, asking that law be passed
or arrest him in his course. He admits t
ut wrong he does; he denounces it; y
TN processes his inability to reform witho
es the sanction Of statute. That il til,
ne position, sir, singular rs it may be. Y
ms, have the spectacle of great party ST
&c, denly seized with remorse for its errt
'ed and itscrimes, confessing its sins, yet a
sed protesting its inability to reform witho
he the aid Of penal statute and the who
has some fear of the penitentiary. | p
an pose to give this aid and to produce il
IN. fear, not only in them, but in ALI 9th,
OF who may be tempted to do the sal
lal wrong.
s sa. But, sir, the Senator from Georl
III Mr.. Brown seems to think that Il
w bill is sham, pretence, mere &C
triyance to delude the people, and yet
eo, the same time efficient enough to Ike
md the Democrats from office when the h:
re- ply year of 1884 shall come and v
IS tory shall once again perch on our st,
ION dard; that this bill with its high-soul
ley ingpreamble is but donatio cqusa NOR
led or legacy in the last will and ties
IN ment of the moribund Republican pai
SER by which the offices now possessed
ork them shall be transmitted by their s
ma rowing and stricken followers when I
nng- party shall be no more, and for Il
Tor reason he would defeat it. Whate,
I'm, may be the intent of its Republican 81
rye porters | am certain, sir, that will not
DC its effect. Ii such were its effect
6t- should certainly refuse it my suppo