Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-12-05
ABOUT THE OFFICES.

AS change of all the federal Offices
in this country will affect directly, say
l00, 900 persons, aud directly and indi-
recily, at least 100000 persons, it is
very natural that the probability of
such sweeping change should be the
matter of general, and indeed, anxious
speculation.
Nothing is gained, we think, by al
lowing our wishes to color our iudg-
ment. 1t is better to over estimate
than to under estimate In many cases
that arise in this world.
The fact, as certain as anything can
be. is that every Republican federal
Office-hOlder is to be removed. 1t may
take few months time. but it will be
done.
We notice, of late, that there is a
disposition to rely on Mr.. Cleveland's
personal character; it is alleged that
he is not very bigoted partisan; that
he is known to favor civil service re-
form; that, being elected, as he be-
lieves, by the aid of Republicans, he
will endeavor to be just to all his sup
| pOrters etc etc.
To this we reply that Mr.. Cleveland
will not have the privilege of abso-
lutely fixing the policy of his own adj
minis,ratiOn. 1t is doubtful if any
president ever did. General Jackson
is credited with having done So, but
was really moved by others. While
"Old Hickory" was swearing by the
eternal that he would have this
or that done, he was only carrying
out the will of Col. William Il.
Lewis, or some other quiet advisor,
who did not allow the old hero to see
the wire which moved him. y presi-
dent of the United States is not car
or an emperor. He is an elected Off
GER, under obligations to those who
have chosen him and generally DESTROYS
of being reelected. These facts make
him susceptible to powerful influences
too powerful to be resisted.
Mr.. Cleveland will go into Office as
the chosen of the Democratic party;
he will desire to keep on good terms
with the party; no president ever yet
attempted to change his party ale
glance while in Office without disaster
and it is certain Mr. Cleveland will not
make the attempt Elected Demo-
era; he will remain a Democrat, and
here we may say that there is no diff
ference in Democrats The distinction
drawn between "old' and "young"
Democrats is purely tancifu.
The president, acting to please his
party, will certainly desire to remove
from office all the political opponents
of his party and himself. There is
nothing in the civil service law or in
the tenure Of Office act that will pre-
vent it. Neither OF those acts havo
ever kept Republican in Office whose
removal was desired under Republi-
can administration, and they certainly
will not be more efficient under a
Democratic administration. The re-
ceipt of note stating that the off &C.
holders resignation is desired. has
always been found sufficient; and the
potency of such request will con-
tinue.
We do not think that the senate,
with its small Republican majority,
will undertake to check the president,
or rather the administration, in the
proposed "clean sweep" We are not
to have again the monkey and parrot
exercises which prevailed during An
drew Johnson's time. 1t is but just
to the Democratic senators to say that
they have seldom DISTRACTED the ac-
ton of Republican administrations,
and, "turn about is fair play"
AS to the character of the appoint
ments to be made. we are of the opin-
ion that southern men, by which we
mean ex-Confederates, will cone in for
the lions share. We think, further,
that fealty to the late confederacy will
be the leading qualification of the
coming federal office-holder. This
from the south will take precedence at
Washington of the man from the
north; and no man can come up from
the south with any backing, unless he
has good confederate record. This
may seem ''hard lines" to many Dem
obratic union men-but then, they
should have thought of that before
the election.
We think the south will take prece-
dence because, as a matter of justice,
looking from Democratic or even an
impartial stand point. it is right, and
we think so because the Democratic
party, now as ever, naturally looks for
its leadership in the south. Jefferson
came from Virginia, and his successors
in the Office of general manager of the
Democratic party, have seldom been
north of Virginia. The northern DEM
ocrat instinctively looks up to south
ern Democrat. The spell of that
strange myth, the southern gentle
man. still retains its power over the
superstitious Democratic brain. Even
the New York Times begins to talk
about the superior men" in the south
who have not been allowed to come TO
the front for the past twenty years,
but who will now give their invalua-
BILE services to the government.
The south will assert its power and |
its rights. Already the old dc |
taiorial tone, familiar before the war,
is being assumed. Says the New Or
leans Picayune:
''lt is the superiority of southern |
which sustains the Demo- |
cratic party in the north, a party want
ing in great men, but infused with |
southern spirit and encouraged by !
southern brilliancy, until il has almost !
the moiety of its section"
MIR. Cleveland will hear this talk and |
he will heed it.
The country may as well be prepar- |
ed for the inevitable. The Republican /
fiice-holders have nothing to expect.
The vote that elected Grover Cleve- |
land, it is presumed. was east intelli-