New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-14
THE POLICY FOR REFORMERS.

The art of politics lies in making use OF the
most effective available means for carrying out
certain plans. 1t is not enough to form wise
purpose and refuse to consider the agencies
necessary to put it in execution. The men VINO
think only of what they would like to do and
fail to see how much of it they can do, are re-
proached ms theorizers and impracticables u;
and although these terms have been good deal
abused by politicians of the lower class, they do
convey rebuke which those to whom they are
commonly applied have done some thing to de-
serve. There is strong aud growing senti-
ment in favor of Civil Service Reform and a
number of earnest Republicans hold that reform
to be the most important issue now before the
country. But like any other political measure,
it can only be enforced through the agency OF
party. The refOrmcrs have been trying for
many wears to arouse the Republican voters to
the urgent need of this change in political
methods, and the agitation has not been fruit
less Under Republican auspices, although the
patronage system has not yet been destroyed, 1t
has been seriously undermined; there has been
a marked improvement in the administration !;
and several staggering blows have been dealt
the Machine in the political conventions. In
deed the party has been making such progress
since 1876 that if it keep on the triumph of the
reform is evidently near at hand.
This wear certain of the reformers urged for
the Republican nomination one or two dis
tingushed politicians whom they chose to re-
gard as specially allied with the reform cause.
1t would be difficult to point out what definite
service either of these candidates had ever
rendered in the movement, and 1t Is no DOre
than the truth to say that their identification
with the cause" consisted entirely in the
friendship with which they were regarded by
the reformers. However that ma be, the
party preferred another candidate. The dele
gates at Chicago pledged the party to perseyere
with the reform, but declined to follow the adj
vice of the minority with respect to the Presi-
dental nomination, and selected the man who
by common consent is the choice of vast ma
jority of the Republican voters. While he was
not the man picked out by the reform wing, 1t Is
q gross error to suppose that there is anything
in his principles or conduct inconsistent with
the reform pledges to which he will subscribe IN
accepting the platform, and If he be elected
there is no reason to fear that he will not carry
them out.
The proper and sensible course for the radical
reformers under these circumstances Is to &C
cept the decision of the majority and go on
with their work of educating the party"
They must operate through party organza-
ton, or they cannot operate at all. They are
sensible enough to realize that they cannot form
a party of their own, and that whatever they
may do in the control of the Government, the
shaping of legislation, the setting of the key
note of politics for at least four years, will go to
one of the two great organizations now in the
field. Which of the two sympathzes the more
closely with the reform movement, and is the
more likely to further itY The Republicans
have been steadily advancing toward purer
politics, and have bound themselves to keep
on. The Democrats have frankly denounced
Civil Service Reform as a vagary of puritanical
cranks they have set every principle of it at
defiance wherever they have had the power;
they have defeated one of their most dis
tlnguished leaders with insult and ridicule be-
cause he had the courage to frame a reform bill
and they never go into campaign without
avOwing, with leer and smackng of the lips,
that they mean to " take the boys in out of the
cold and warm their toes" 1t seems to us that
a practical reformer will not hesitate to support
the only party which has hitherto given him
any encouragement, or held out any promise of
adopting his principles. The country is going
to be ruled by the Republican masses or the
Democratic masses, and the choice lies between
Them