Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-27
me necessities of the government
economically administered In adi1lsf-

economically administered n g9'eadHist ADJUST
Iig tnIs ms tarin Tor revenue we insist that il
shall impose no unequal burdens, but encour.
age all industries alike, without creatin0 n,
fostering monopolies to rob labor of its siust
compensation. l would not have worded the
platform lulte rs 1t is wOrded but the idea is
there. 1t leaves freedom TO Industry snd
IeNies taxes TO support the government only
ana not TO build up special interests heart
ny concur also In the platforms Remuneration
ol the Feductlon OF the tariff on wool while
IL leaves highly protective duty on woolen
goods. Ihe proposition is so monstrous that
the Republicans themselves have had to re-
cede from it; and the wool growers owe the
Democracy debt of gratitude for forcing the
Republicans to do them Justice
The whole tariff ideas of the two parties
divide ON the line between labor and capital.
republican tariff is in the interest of capi-
tai. The Democratic tariff is in the Interest
OF labor. The one protects money! the other
protects men. y man is better than a dollar.
me uOllar In the thousand forms of aggregated
Capltal Is strong enough to take care of itself
Inc man, unorganiZed and competing is ever
tne prey OF the dollar, organized and com
Dnlng. lie needs freedom from governmental
Ta 4aoIitIsIn Ism 10 capital Republican tariffs en-
SiaVe, democratic tariffs enfranchise labor
republican restrictive legislation has driven
our ships from the ocean. Under Democratic
1ree legislation the breeze will kiss our mer-
chant nag IN every cline and on every sea
capital and labor at home will each have IFS
Just reward. Legislation will not AS now
make make the rich richer and the poor poorer
Democratic taxation, like the deWsof Heaven
Will fall on all alike. and not AS now. eNemnt
the rich by taxing the poor.
CIVIL SERVICE
must not be silent as to civil service If
we had time to consider il in its largest sense
we W0uId oegin with primaries, conventions
ana elections. The freedom, intelligence and
purity OF the voting power are above all price
TO the institutions and policy of the country
'I1eIl 1nousn unfortunately not always above a
no honGy falue IN actual politics. But to-day
the clVll service to be discussed involves the
appointment of subordinate officers under the
feuefai government. This is a most impor-
tant SUBJECT, and one that of late has attract
et Huch attention. Our platform demands as
the first step in the reform "a change
IN the Executive administration ITSELF"
In that view | heartily concur. A
hUm ta,'a, parry came into power stimuli
years, except In rare cases, has held every
once worth having in the civil administra-
uOn, Ihe civll service has been during that
period close corporation, in which none
could be stockholders except Republicans.
service TO the country, or fitness for the place
passed FOR nothing, unless the applicant could
Sho" ms party patent of nobility. Nay.
democrats were jeered at as dislOyal though
they had bled for the country or defended the
Constitution against those who reviled it as
"a covenant with death and league with
neil. Ihe administrators of the civil
service banded together to keen their
party in power, contributed money to the
cause, went home on leave to manipulate
conventions and electiOneer at the polls: i'm
snort, became trained army of political
mercenary soldiers, armed with the Influence
and patronage of the government, and obey
ing no call but the command of their master
The republican party. Their votes and in
Huence determined the last two Presidential
elections Against this abuse of the adminis-
tratlve power and patronage the Democracy
mas been constantly Outspoken and bold But
tnelr warnings ana denunciatiOns have been
uhheeded by those in power. The frauds and
cOrrupJlOns Oi the service have gone on from
Dad to worse. Jay Hubbell and his commit
tee, IN defiance of law, bled department
clerks at his pleasure, and star route wicked
ness ueIrauueu the government and elected
Il President with the plunder. The
hrst ana essential step in civil service
reform is, therefore, to muster ont of
service these disciplined cohorts of Republi-
can power, ana put IN their places Demo-
cratic, honest and competent successors.
"Ihey have allowed themselves to be made
the mefcenarles of party, and are no longer
NJ 70 be the servants of the whole people,"
Indeed, no party can safely be trusted with
unrestralned power so long. and the subordl-
nate officers in it least of all, for they feel
responsibility To their superiOrs alone, and not
10 the people. The chiefs feel some RESPONSE
Dlnty TO public opinion and the people. When
the chiefs go out, let their dependents go too
Ot course, trained men in the several de-
partments must be retained to instruct their
successors, but let the BODY of the
civil service give place to new men. gradual
ly and circumspectly selected from the
Democratic ranks. This is not only Justice.
but good policy, for the country ought to feel
that the government is not the property of
one party: The grip of the Republican party
on the civil service was remorseless till they
lelt power slipping away from them Then
tney began to plead for non partisan civil SER
wee, SO as TO retain their liegemen already in
place, ana weaken their rivals by giving them
fewer places to bestOw upon their followers.
IL there were no other reason for opposing the
recent civil service act, it would be enough
that practically 1t gives the Republicans in
office an advantage over Democrats ont of
office. First let the parties be equalized, at
all events, before applying competitive tests.