The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-01-27
HAS SENATOR PENDLETON OBEY ED
THE REQUIREMENTS?

To show the fidelity of Senator Pen
dletOn to the Democratic party we need
only refer to the declarations of Demo
cratic National and State Conventions
In 1872 our National platform declared
that:
"The civil service of the government
has become a mere instrument of partl
san tyranny and personal ambition and
an object of selfish greed. 1t Is scan
dal and a repTOach upon free institu
tiOns and breeds decentralization danger
GUS to the perpetuity of republican gov
ernment. We therefore regard the thor
Ough reform of the civil service as one
of the most pressing necessities OF the
hour; that honesty, capacity and fidelity
constitute the only valid claim to pub
lie employment; and the officers of the
government cease to be a matter of ar
bitrary favOritlsm and patronage, and
public station again become post OF
honor. To this end it is impeTativelyr re-
quired that no President shall be can
didate for reelection"
And in 1876 the following declaration;
Reform is necessary in tine civil ser
vice. Experience that proves efficient
economical conduct of governmental bu-
siness is not possible if the civil service
be subject to change at every election,
be prize fought for at the ballot box,
be a brief reward to party zeal, instead
of posts of honor assigned for proved
competency and held for fidelity in the
public employ; that the dispensing Of
patronage should neither be tax upon
the time of Iall public men nor The in
stFumeDt Of their ambition"
At the Democratic state Convention
held at Cleveland in 1880 the committee
on resolutions reported and the conven-
tiOn adopted as follows:
"REsoLvED, That the Democrats of
Ohio adopt as their own the National
Democratic platform"
That National Democratic platform
contained the following:
"7. We execrate the course of this Ad-
ministTatiOn in making places in the
civil service reward for political crime,
and demand a reform by statute, which
shall make it forever impossible for a
defeated candidate TO bTibe his way to
the seat of an usuTper by billeting vii
lains upon the people"
At the Democratic State Convention,
held at Columbus in 1881, the cOnyen-
tiOn adopted the following:
"REsOLAED, That we are in favor of
civil service reform whereby offices
shall be held to be public trust to be
administered for the public good, not
spOils to be enjoyed as the reward of
partisan zeal OF service"
And at the Democratic State Conven-
tiOn held at Columbus last year the fol-
lowing was among the resolutions:
"REsOLvED, That we favor honest re-
form in the civil service, and denOunce
the extOTtiOn of money from Office hold
ers to corrupt the ballot and control
elections as most threatening, as it is
the most insidiOus, danger that besets
tree government, and the shameless re-
sort to such methods by the party in
power to carry its ends evidences the
utter abandonment of principle for
place and spOils under boss rule"
The foregoing resolutions were hear
tily endorsed by Democrats everywhere;
and these very journals that are now
earping at Senator PendIeton were not
backward in endorsing these reform
declarations! After this, the Enquirer,
Plain Dealer, and their followers, should
cease to abuse and villify Senator Pen
dietOn. In his civil service bill he only
Obeyed the orders Of the Democratic
party. These Journals should have some
regard to consistency.