New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-04

taken at their word. Under the provisions VI
this act, If faithfully carried out the Democratic
party, if it should come into power, Will not DO
able to make clean sweep ut all the suoordi-
nate Offices in the departments; and even II they
should. the re requirements of the competitive e1-
aminations would prevent the appointment OF
borles of ambitious Office seekers whose zeal Tor
the party is conditioned upon their expectation
ot reward. They were claplorous for Civil Ser
vice Reform, and they have got 1t. 1t is not the
kind they wanted, however Though fathered
bv one of their own Senator'S, and voted for to
a considerable extent by thsir own representa-
tiyes, the measure gives them no satisfaction
Il paralyzes the right arm Of their strength IN
taking away the motive for political activity OF
the large majority of their working force-the
unfit and incompetent men who look simply for
soft nlaees under new Administration, but who
are barred out of any such prospect by the
necessity of passing the examination. Snould
the country su1er the misfortune OF the accession
of the Democracy to power, there would be Oh
course great number Of places within the dis
posal of the party, but there would not be
enough of these for the big fish; and as for the
little opes-the hundreds of thousands of expect
ants of clerkships and other small places-they
would have to 90 hungry. 1t was observed Tor
some time before the passage of the PeDdleton
bill that the more sagacous leaders were toning
down their enthusiasm for reform, and now that
II has passed they exhibit % manifest GOODNESS
on the subject.
The Democrat tic conventions this year show a
marked change in this regard. The Pennsyl-
yaoia Democrats in particular have taken pains
- ill lohn dali
milton of what they now believe in as I" genuine
and dccp-reaching Civil Service Reform" in
coutradistnctcn from tho reform initiated by
the Pendleton bill "The Democracy OF
PENNSYLVANIA" they say, @belleve in that
agenuine and decp-reaching Civil Service
@Reform which consists sin tho election
70 office of honest, intelligent, capable
aand courageous public servants who will
faithfully administer their trust, and who
will he held to strict accountability for such
discharge of it, and who will redeem and
spurge the departments of the General Govern
@ment from that corruption and fraud with
(which they have been pcrmeated under Re-
spublican rule, aud which that party has shown
itself unable and unwilling to eradicate"
Here are great many more words than are
necessary, but the glst of it is very plain. They
want to elect men who will "purify and purge
the departments" No more nonsense about
competitive examinations, and tests of honesty,
ability and fidelity; what the Pennsylvania
Democrats want is n deep-reachng an
uncommonly good word - reform that Will
"purify and prrge the departmeuts'-especially
spurgc." There is 10 misunderstanding the
meaning of this 1t is IA proclamation to the
workers" that Democratic success means that
the Republicans must go,' and of course that
when they 20 tho workers" will take their
places
The Pendleton bill has done ono good service
nj least already. 1t has stuck pin into the
windy professions of Democratic reformers,
stripped the party of its DISCUSSES, and COM
PEELED IL to como out with square, fat-footed
declaration of its purposes. The Pennsylvania
Democrats have defined very cleady Democratic
Civil Service Reform. 1t i, deep-reachIng.'