Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-05-07
From our regular correspondent,
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, D. c., May, 8, "a

washington, ID. u, May, D, o.
Mr.. Wafer Evans idea of civil SER
vice reform is embraced in the remark
made by him, officially, to the
effect that no man has right to be in
antagonism with the administration
under which he holds official position.
This idea, entertained by the Com
missioner of Internal Revenue, is doubt
less harbored in the minds of many
another Republican official who is
working up Mr.. Arthur's boom, and
compelling his subordinates to do the
same, though their preferences may be
all in different direction. 1t would
be exhilerating to know just how many
of the pledged Arthur delegates to the
Chicago shake are not figuring in some
capacity or other upon the Government
pay-rolls, and how many of them will
swear that they were never for Arthur
in the event Of his discontinue, but
were always for the other fellow who
is successful. But what | was going
to particularly remark about, is the
anomalous manner in which the chief
tains of the Grand Old Party are con-
Quoting their preliminary skirmish for
nomination. There never was such
an era of high toned back-biting, such
a season of polite mud singing, and
such campaign generally of political
slop.work. Though the country will
be the gamer from the exposures made
by these despatched statesmen against
one another, it is humiliating in the
extreme that there should have been so
long lease of political depravity that
has has had no check through legal
conviction or punishment through the
forms of law.
And what a power there is behind a
politician after he gets up among the
high muck-a-mucks of the party -
Here is Sabin, of Minnesota, who was
never heard of until last fall, furnish
ing to the country successor to Knox,
Comptroller of the Currency, in the
person of another man who was never
heard of or heard from, although his
name is Cannon. The responsibility
that attaches to this Office Of Comptrol-
Ter is simply Unreasonable, and the
men are few who possess the requisite
capacity for discharge of the vastly
important trusts involved in it. Mr..
Cannon may be most excellent man
for the position, but the business men
of the country, and particularly the
men who run the National banks,
would much prefer to know something
of the man who is to boss the finances
of this great Nation.
The movement in behalf of revenue
reform inaugurated in New York the
other day, has done much toward en-
couraging Mr.. Morrison in pushing his
bill to ispeedy, if not completely
successful conclusion. There is no
installing the fact that the present ma
iority in the House are going to do
their part toward tightening the bur-
dens upon the people by reducing to
the lowest possible limit those taxes
that have been imposed by reason Of
the war. 1t is matter of detail only
upon which the Democratic members
are disagreed, for Mr.. Randall himself
has repeatedly declared in favor of the
Identical propositions embodied in the
New York resolutions. No one knows
any better than Mr.. Morrison. that
human ingenuity is not capable Of de-
vising measure that will subserve
every local interest in the country ant
if Ohio wool and Pennsylvania pig
iron and Louisiana sugar and Maine
hackmetack and Massachusetts calico
cannot each look out for themselves
when it comes to Congressional action
it will be of no use to try to find any
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