The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-12-03
HOW 1T LOOKS ar TIE NATIONAL
CAPITAL.

When the campaign was over we expected
that the defeated party would subside grace
fully and retreat In good order For the
most part this has been done by the rank
and file Of the Republican party, but its
newspapers and correspondents seem to have
entered upon Q new campaign OF mischief
making and false statement. A Washington
special to the Pittsburg Post says that the
Republican press seems to be making des-
perate efforts to commit Cleveland to the
retention of the rascsls. Some OF the able
correspondents in Washington are sending
out reports to the effect that Democrats in
Congress favor such q policy. A New York
correspondent has gone 30 far az to
state that Cleveland quarreled with
Hendricks upon the lstter's visit to Albany
on sccoxnt of the Brooklyn speech. Moth
ing could be further from the truth than the
impression intended TO be conveyed Dy all
this writing. The Democrats in Washing
ton, to q man, expect Cleveland to be a DEM
ocrstic President who will surround himself
by Democratic Cabinet and welcome DEM
scrats into every branch Of the public ser
vice. Amy other theory would be absurd.
The Democrats have been working for twenty
years 10 regain possession OF the Government,
and will not be content with 9 barren vic
tory now.
In regard TO the regulations OF the
civil service protecting anybody from
dismissal, the Washington CORE
spOndent of the Post says that
both Senator Pendletou, the author OF the
reform, and Commissioner Thomsn say that
any clerk coming under the provisions of
the law may be discharged at will without
even q charge being preferred. Some Of
these men were notorious for their violation,
during the campaign, OF the law, the proteo-
ton Of which they now invoke. Should
they be discharged they can enter no COM
plant, and the men who put them out will
not be violstors of the law. They will
simply get the punishment due to their
offenses There are enough of this sort
who ought to go. and faithful, efficient,
attentive clerks viii be left az their desks.
The places OF those who are dismissed will
be filed by the Civil Service Commission,
and the Democrats will at least stand an
equal chance of entering the public service
after having seen the door closed In their
face for score of years. While il Is neces-
sary TO break up the department rings and
seek greater honesty and better business
methods, it will also be absolutely essential
TO change the entire public service of the
Southern States. Northern people have no
idea of the character of the scalawags and
scamps who infest every branch of the Fed
eral service Of the South, They are rarely,
IL ever, gentlemen; they are generally in
efficient and often dishonest. They spend
their time ia politics and in stirring up race
prejudice. The Southern men demand
that these fellows shall give place
and quickly, too, to better class Of citiz ms,
and to men who have some interest in the
welfare OF the people among whom they
represent the Government interests. Mr..
Cleveland proposes to give the country q
business administration, bat it is q mistake
to assume that he will not. other things be-
ing equal, prefer Democrats to Republicans.
He does not propose to indOrse the Republi-
can SANDER that Democrats are not fit to
govern or conduct public affairs, and this is
the way that Cleveland's coming policy is
regarded by both Democrats and Republi.
cans at the capital, aside from those whose
only interest it is to keep the trust they have
already betrayed.