The Red Cloud chief., 1884-02-08
The Wipers.

The Democrats are not very powerful
at originating legislation. but they are
terrible fellows at wiping out laws that
other people have made. 4 few years
ago they were engaged in wiping every
vestige OF the war Legislation from the
statute book, and so vigorously did they
pursue the job that in the end they
came intentionally near being wiped
out themselves. just now they are en-
gagged in wiping Out the Civil-service
law, with what result to themselves TO-
mains to be seen.
So long as the Republicans were so
firmly established i'm power as to show
no probability whatever of ar APP
preaching change, the Democrats Were
the most virtuous Civil-service reform
ers in the world. They could not hold
a convention Of any sort without SOL
EMMY ''arraigning'' the Republicans
for gross partisanship in the distribu-
ton of offices. and declaring that merit
and not favOritism should be the true
and only guide in making appoint
ments. Even as late as last year they
were o much impressed by their own
pretenses in favor of Civil-service Re-
form that they did not rs a body place
themselves in opposition to the bill, and
it was allowed to pass without becom-
ing distinctly a party measure.
But by talking to each other in pri.
waite and to other people in public the
leaders have for some months now been
deluding themselves into the belief that
they can carry the Presidential election
of 1884, and the first thing to troub e
| them in that connection has been the
impediment, in the shape of certain pro-
visions of the Clvil-service bill, that
would lie in the way Of a n immediate
seizure of all the political spoils. and it
was determined that. if by any means
possible, the CivIlservice law must be
''wiped."
Mr.. Pendleton, of Ohio, was ''wiped"
a few days ago, and all because of his
connection with the Civil-service bill.
The Democrats evidently thought that
if one of their own number didn't know
better than to act as though he thought
the party declarations in convention
meant something, it was time to put
him out of the way. His fate will warn
| other Democrats not to indulge in the
recreation of composing Civil-service
Reform bills sc long a there is any
possibility of their passage through Con-
gress.
A gallant Democrat from Kentucky
introduced a bill in the House a day or
two ago for abolishing the Civil-service
law outright. This goes TO the root of
the matter. The new bill has gone to
the select Committee on Reform in the
Civil Service, of which Mr.. Mutchler, of
Pennsylvania, is Chairman, and eight
of the thirteen members are Democrats.
If they do not bring in a favorable re-
port it will be because, unlike most OF
their fellows, they have sufficient wis
dom to make them timid.
1t is most likely, however, that the
Democrats will wipe out the Civil Ser
vice Commission by the process OF
starvation rather than by direct aboli-
ton. That is the favcrite process among
towards for killing off their enemies:
Democratic lawyers are being impressed
anew with the great fact that the Com
mission is an unconstitutional body,
and before the Executive Appro-
priation bill is brought in probably the
scruples of the Democrats on the score
of unconstitutionality will become so
serious as to prevent their voting for
any money to carry on the reforms III
dertaken by the Commission.
Whatever way they may be compelled
to adopt in order to get rid of the spec
ter of Civil-service Reform, the Demo-
Gratis will march on to the glorious
work of wiping it out, and lucky will
they be if they do not perceive before
the year is Over that with all their pains
they have only succeeded in once more
extinguishing the prospects, OF theirjOwn
party.-DctrOit Post and Tribune