Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1883-04-12
Tbc Press ana the New Reform.

The Press ana the New Reform,
Topics of the Tmc," IN the April Century.
Tue platform seems to have had less
to do propOrtjOnatcly with the triumph~
OF the principles of civil service reform
than it had to do with the triumphs OF
anti-Slavery principles. 1t would APP
pear that the new political reform owes
more to the arguments OF writers than
to the elOquence of speakers We by
no means intend TO disparagc the Iabor~
Of speakers in congress, in political
conventions, in the pulpit, and else
where; but it should not bc forgotten
that tho great work of educating the
pcop'e in the matter of the new reform
has been mainly by means of he print.
ing-prc>s. by means of books, pamFh-
lets, and periodicals.
When Mr.. Curtis, in recent number
of "Harper's Weekly" writes of the
late Thomas Allen Jenckes, of Rhode
Island, rs The Father of Civil Service
Reform, he does Justice to one wbC
should not be overlooked in the appOr
tonment of honors. But MIR. Curtis i,
hardly the man to give a full and truth
ful account of the entire struggle, fOl
modesly might occasion a serious hia
tuS in the story. As an orator, and il
his office aS president of the reform
association, Mr.. Curtis's labOrs have
been great; but, as a writer and editor
they have been greater. Mr.. +. l.
Godkin should be mentioned with Mr.
Curtis among those whose pens have
been powerful in bringing about The
| lust begun reform. The wider diSScm
nation of Mr.. Curt SIS political writ
ings, in the pages of g popular illus
! tratcd weekly. Is to be taken into tht
account; but the influence of "Th'
Nation y upon the great body of thought
tul minds IN all sections of the cOuntr'
! can hardly be over-estimated. NJ
only the direct teachings of The Ma
! ton on the subject Of civil service
reform have been of incalculable valu,
at this epoch in our history, bat tn,
tone that this journal has helped to i'm
part to political thinking and discussion
! in general has been of the creates
Importance.
We have named Mr.. Curtis and Mr.
Godkin especially; hut we think 1t NJ
more than lust that DR.. Hollands ; con
vinced and convincing writings on thl
subipct, in these columns, should b.
mentioned in this connection. Man,
of the monthly ma IaZineS and review
have, moreover, welcomed papers b,
such able and persistent promoters o
the reform as Mr.. Dorman b. Eatol
and DR.. Washington GLADDEN.; ant
many of the religious weeklies and
certain number of the daily newspaper
have kept up for years an able an,
earnest advOcac, OF the reform, thOug
in these cases it is not SO easy to de
tcct the individual writers and singl
them out for the praise they deserve.
But. as we have said, the great re
form is really only just begun. Tn
adaptation of these new methods I
our political system. the proper cn
forcement of the law, the extension Q
the reform to the machinery Of on
state and municipal governments
these. also, are matters not SO much f0
oratorical discourse and appeal rs 70
the alert watchtulncsS and calm argU
mentS and warnings of the press. OG
political writer's have by no means fin
ished their work, with relation to tn
civil service; there is, if anything
more need of vigilance and wisdor
than ever before.