Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-01-02
A False AssumptIon-Causcs Of
Democratic success.

One oil the political comedies OF tne
day Is tho pretcnce set up BY Republi'
cans that the late Democratic successes
were won on the issue Of Civil Service
reform. II is not too much to say that
nineteen Democrats out OF twenty havs
an inexpressiblo contempt for, MI this
hollow and insincerssRopublican cant.
In ono of itsf ~ moods the New York
Herdsp ~ the little Republican game
away so completely that no sensible man
who read the article whose substance
was reproduced in this journal can have
apght but contempt for the Republican
professors Of Civil Service Reform. III
Is worthy Of note that 1t Is only when
the prospect Of the Democratic partys
coming into possession OF the govern
ment seems very imminent that this
hypocritical yawp il raised by the Re.
publican leaders.
1t is not hard to discover the cause OF
the late Democratic victories. First in or
der Is tho desire Of the great mass Of the
people 10 have tho present Republican
office holders turned out so that O fair
inspection may be made OF the national
ledgers. An overwhelming majority
Of the vot'rs, and amongst them are
myrinds Of Republicans. desire to see a
clear sweep made of the old. corrupt
Office holding, barnacle set, retaining
merely enough OF them to act as States
evidence, their reward being contingent
upon the alacrity with which they shall
assist to show up the transgressions Of
thoir brother rogues. At intervals in Its
history there have been 80 many evi.
dences Of gigantic spoliations Of the
treasury and tho public domain by
the Republican leaders, from the
Credit Mobilier to the Star Route
robberies, that the people. largely
irrespective Of party, realize that the
mon who have SO long administered the
government ought to be turned out and
replaced by political opponents who
could discover just to what extent
Uncle Sam has been robbed. There can
bc no doubt hut that, with Democratic
President in the White House, and a
complete equipment of Democratic sub.
ordinates, such departments as the
Treasury, Interior, War and Navy, and
even the Attorney. Generals office,
would be found as rotten as frost
bitten apple that had lain for several
years in soggy cellar, and which. on
the first prick of pin. would send n
stream Of corruption across room. In
speaking thus severely, we do not claim
that the individual Republican is worse
than the individual Democrat. What
we do claim and know is that its long
and uninterrupted success has gathered
into the Republican fold nearly all the
venal and unscrupulous politicians of
the country. Not only does tho HERALD
not believe in this cant about "Snivcl
Service Reform" but it is SO firm q
believer In the efficacy OF rotation in
Office that II would prefer to sec the
great national parties alternate in the
possession Of powor at decent intervals.
Then it might be possible to look for a
generous emulation in the interest of
the people.
A second and very potential agency
In the Democratic success at the late
election was its determined anti.sumptu.
ary law stand, aided by the ungrateful
and stupid attitude OF the Republican
party towards the Teutonic and Latin
races, through whose agency alone
the party has been ablo to
maintain its asccndancy in States whose
electoral votes determined the Presidon-
tial elections so often since 1856. That
alienation is permanent one. All the
Democratic leaders have to do is to
frown down legislation seeking to cur
tail the liberty of the human race. That
large and influential vote don't care a
bawbee about Civil Service Reform, and
would be delighted to see Republican
office holders swept out of Office, bag and
baggage, scrip and scrippage.
A third cause of the overwhelming
Democratic success is the inappeasible
enmity which prevails between the Half
Breeds and the Stalwarts. The personal
ill-will which at one time existed he.
tween the followers Of Douglas aud
Breckenridge never was characterized by
any thing like tho hatred with which
such men as Roscoe Conkling and
Wayne MacVeagh regard each other,
ior instance A Republican ticket which
would be acceptable to Blaine would be
spewed odt Of his mouth by Gen. Grant,
while any one that would suit Grant and
bis crowd would be tomahawked by
Blaine. The knowledge of the fact that
tho circumstances render it impossible
to elect Republican President in 1854,
is the true reason why Blaine has re.
peatedly declared that he will not be a
candidate and OF the feverish anxiety OF
the Republican leaders to despoil the
Presidential office Of most OF its consti.
tutional functions by so.called Civil Ser
vice Reform bills which are really in.
tended to strip Democratic President
of the whole appointivc power vested in
him by the Constitution
A fourth and conclusive reason for the
late Democratic successes is that the
people are at last awakening to the fact
that it is the only political organization,
with any considerable following, in the
United States which believes in gov.
eminent Of the people, for the people
and by the people.
The HERALD is glad to SOC that only
hys Democratic United States Senators
voted for the Civil Service bill the other
day. 1t hopes that the numberwill be still
fewer in the House. 1t also takes q
huge delight in noting the fact that
Grover Cleveland, elected Governor of
New York by the trifing majority of
nearly two hundred thousand, has had
the pluck and good sense to appoint his
own subordinates and laugh at the
cant OF George William Curtis.