Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-10-02
Must Take Democratic Medicine.

Chicago Evening Journal.
A leading Democratic newspaper an
nounces that Civil Service reform, as the
Republicans understand and define II, is
not to be practiced at all if a Democratic
administration should succeed in getting
into power: when Cleveland becomes
President" it declares, "the Republicans
viii be turned out of the offices which
they now hold, and Democrats with rep
resentatives of the element now aiding
the Democrats to secure Cleveland's cleo
ton Will be appointed to fill vacancies.
That is Democratic Civil Service re-
form"
That is civil-service reform as the
Democrats understand and viii practice
it, if they should obtain possession Of
the administration. Actual civil serVice
reform includes the divorce Of the Offices
from politics; that neither removals nor
appointments shall be made for partisan
purposes; that the Offices are not to be
considered as spoils and divided among
the VictOrs in political campaigns. This
is genuine ciVil-service reform. The In
dependents have explained 1t somewhat
in that light.
The Democrats, as announced by one
Of their leading newspaper representa-
tives, viii have no civil service reform
of this description. They will, if they
are successful in the Presidential cleo
tiOn, simply turn the Republicans out Of
Office and ill the vacancies with Demo-
Gratis and Independents"
The Independents" have made the
cause of civil service reform their main
pretext for opposing Mr.. Blaine. Carl
Schurz, in his speech in Chicago, admit
ted that the Republican party is more
favorable to civil service reform than
the Democratic party, but he said that
he thought the reform would fare
better with Mr. Cleveland as President
than with Mr.. Blaine as President. He
and ali other independents" have now
been served with notice as to the exact
kind of civil service reform which they
are to expect under Cleveland, if he
should be elected. Republicans are
simply to be turned out, and Democrats
and Independents" are to be put in
their places. The Independents" will
not get much, that is certain. With a
mob Of hungry and clamOrOus Bourbons
bowling for every place and for every
chunk Of patronage, it, will be mighty
little that viii go to the independents"
But whether they get much or little,
they are to get nothing in accordance
with civil service reform principles or
under civil service rules. If they get
Office they must take it as spOils. 1t is to
be the reward of their political service.
1t is to 90 as pay for helping the Demo-
Gratis carry the election. 1t is to 90 to
them, if it goes at all, as allies of the
victors entitled to part of the plumber
captured from the enemy. They are
not to be permitted the poor privilege of
claiming, when they accept their reward,
that it comes in accordance with their
professions of civil service reform, and
in the only way, as they have proclaimed,
that appointments should proceed from
those holding political power. They
must become spOilsmen, and share in the
rapine of political war rare, or they will
not be allowed to taste the fruits of vic
tory. 1t is humiliating but there is no
help for it.