New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-12
UNLIMITED RUN, But NO REFORM

UNLIMITED KUN, OCI NJ hbfOhH'
Following closely upon the defeat of Civil
Service Reform in the Assembly, came the VIC
tory of Free Rum in the Senate. The Assem-
bly's shameless and vul gar verdict upon civil
Service Reform was that it was "too thin"
But the Senate did not find Free Rum too
thin" Oh, no. 1t promptly cOncurred with
the Assembly in pronouncing Free Rum pre-
cious bovn-sOmething that meets great Dem
ocratic popular want. Glass in definition, stand
I'D. What is current NewI Ork State Democ-
racy9 Current New-York State Democracy is
political organization whose character and
tendency are revealed in the fact that while 1t
ia hostile to Civil Service Reform it holds up
both hands for Free Rum.
The passage of the Civil Service Reform bills
would have largely promoted the public well
Fare Nevertheless, the Democrats of the AS
sembly did not hesitate to kill them. The Free
Rum bill, on the other hand, Is at war with the
public good it widens the avenues that lead to
poverty, ruin and disgrace. All the same the
Democrats OF the Senate did not hesitate to
nut it through. What is the explanation OF the
palpable disregard of the dictates OF obvious
nropriety revealed in both these Instances I
II is that those who control in the present Leg
;slature are the narrowest and most unscrupu-
Ions of n,rtisans, whose motto evidently is
The advancement of Democracy first and tho
common veal afterward." These men sec in
Civil Service Reform simply n baleful power,
mighty for the drying up of the fountains OF
pap. Not being able to conceive OF Democ-
racy flourishng without pap, they throttle
the Civil Service Reform bills for the good of
the party And so /" for the good of the party"
they make themselves solid with the liquor in
terest by obeying that interests behest in the
matter of Free Rum And the public good 7
sOh.y say these Lawmakers by their actions,
ave do not propose to allow what is sentimcn-
atally known as the public good to stand IN the
. way of the good of the party. He serves his
9party best who serves his country best
sounds prettily and makes good ending for
" n stump speech or Il convention platform.
i But we take no stock in any such nonsense.
Civil Service Reform is a good thing; we can
see that it means political progress and purifi-
9cation, but it hurts the Democracy, and so We
u are against it, On the other hand, Free Rum
us bad thing, very bad thing, but 1t helps
g the Democracy ard hence we are for it. That's
the kind of earnest, practical Democrats we
"aren
Once on a time the youthful son of the pro-
prietor of an uncommonly sterile and forlorn
farm fell in with prosperous city urchin OF
about his own age. The latter began to brag
of the many and varied attractions OF his
fathers elegant mansion in town and bis
equally elegant country-scat. The former
listened, burning with desire to meet Drag
with brag, but could think of nothing to CONF
a. nall hnWnNnr
stung to desperation, lie exclaimed: swell,
anyway don't believe you've got skunk
under your barn, and we have" A Legis-
lature that stands in the way of Civil Ser
vice Reform. that tramples upon the right OF
suffrage by keeping Mr.. Sprague out OF the
seat to which he was elected, that truckles 70
oleomargarne, that carefully neglects to revise
the tax laws, that legislates tried and true men
out of office for no other reason than because
they are Republicans. that labors under the