Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-02

TO rCad the innocent prattle in some OF the
newspapers one would sUppOee the day OF the mil
lcntJrn 10 Dr. very near at hand OF this character
are the obs ry1touS of the Boston transcript on
wicked report which has reached it 10 the effect
that 1.-The clerks in the departments at Washing
ton contributing literally to the republican
campaign fund Following a few solemn refiec-
tlOns on the subject, that paper adds:
"Now these clerks would act wisely II they kept
their money In their pockets, and allowed Blaines
personal friends TO furnish the funds for his cam
pugn The spectacle of ofhceholders
OF any party contributing to keep In power the
party thai furnishes teln with their positions Is
not pleasant one In these cvii-SerVice-reforIlng
days
The spectacle may perhaps not be pleasant one,
ou; il Is that is likely to be furnished to the
world as long as political parties and human ma
ture are constituted they are Not one person in
Thousand of those competent TO form a correct
opinion on the subject cntcrtains any doubt on the
proposition that in the event Of democratic vic
Tory the men now filling positions in the depart
ments will have to go. soon as the new admins
tratiOn is fairly installed and takes account OF
stock. 81 to speak, civil service law or no civil ser
vice law What is more natural, therefore, than
Tx the incunbens OF these places should con-
1E-bIte their money IN support OF the party that
viii leave them undistu:brd? Civil service reform
II very pretty theory III the abstract, but this is
Iif matter of bread and butter to the ma jOrity
OF It's, department clerks aIi they acting very
Iarch Is other people would do under the same cir
cEIaStanrTS. Martyrdom for sentiment Is very
Trr. brt there ISN'T much OF il going on now days.
! i.aj- ssh sentimentality has been growing up
i. .s r"untry for some years past, the tendency
o. .'i,h has been to regard criminals generally as
objects OF mothery cOddiing rather than proper
subjects for legal punishment This view has pre-
vailed to such an extent that in some places and
under some circumstances it has been almost i'm
possible TO enforce the penalties provided by
law for even the worst offences, and IN some cases
II has turned out that the fragrant the crime
the greater and more active has been the Sympa-
thy aroused. There is, however, healthy reaction
setting in on this subject. and appearances now
Indicate that the time for mistaken and miSappied
cleincncy has well nigh gone by. Evidence on this
point Is furnished by the manner i'll which the
proposition OF the New YORK STIR, that the scOun-
drelS who assault defenceess women should be pun
ished at the whipping post has been received by the
press IN different parts OF the country. SO far as
comment has been made upon it, the expression is
almost unanimously in its favor, and 1t will not be
al all surprising IL that Term OF punishment shall
be lfgaliZed in several OF the states before long
Whipping with the lash in the hands of a stalwart
man Il Il severe, and may be made brutal. punish
ment; but it really seems as though there are
Some oIltrage5 for which no other penalty Is ade-
qu1te. and OF these i the beating OF wOmen.-and
the cruel Treatment of children. also, it may be
added Though painful in the extreme whipping
Is not physically or mentally harmful in its effects
however long recollectionS of its stngs may sur
we IL. severity Is what makes it dreaded by the
bEu"- who deserve il, and that is its real recon-
EenlttiJn- Il !i'y-bre,lk5rs know that the april
cation 81 the Iasi. viii iuexOr;tbly follow the COM
mission vi certain Iffrn>f.S. docs any one doubt
That such ofienses VIII be much s,arcer than they
now are?