Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-12-31

The administration Of national affairs
has now been In the hands Of the Repre-
sentatives Of the Democratic party for
about nine months, and fair estimate
can be made of the willingness and
ability Of Mr.. Cleveland and his advis-
ers and subordinates to carry out the
National platform, upon which they
went before the people and received
the endorsement Of majority Of the
voters. 1t Is true the present conduct
Of affairs Is not In full accord with the
views and desires of all even Of the
Presidents own party. His views upon
the silver and tariff questions are op-
posed by at least respectable minority
Of the Democratic party. No political
organization has full community of
feeling upon these points, and they
have never yet been made clearly de-
fined issue. Others, and we think, a
majority of the party of the President,
take issue with him upon the question
of the so-called civil service reform.
Such differences are natural and una
voidable, and do not affect the proper
estimate of the extent to which the ad-
ministration of Mr.. Cleveland has full
filled the promises of the Democracy to
the people of the country. The Demo-
cratic party promised such reform. as
would eliminate the abuses that during
q quarter of century were fostered and
grew under Republican domination. In
making the estimate, it must be remem-
bered that Mr.. Cleveland Is conduct
ing affairs under laws made by Repub-
lican majorities, and is being constantly
hampered by adverse laws and that in
fiuence call precedent" Nevertheless
the reforms inaugurated are cOnspicu-
Gus and such as challenge the endorse
ment of all friends of honesty in the
conduct of public affairs. The jobbery
that had so thoroughly permeated ev-
cry part of the Navy Department as to
become an apparently inseparable por-
ton of it, has been stopped; the extrav-
agance and corruption under which the
"repairs" on navals vessels often trebied
the original cost of the vessels have
been eliminated, and system of hon
esty, economy and official responsible
ty inaugurated that has surprised and
dismayed the barnacles who during
twenty-five years of corruption and
maladministration fattened upon of
fetal favoritism. The John Reaches,
Secor Robesons and Billy Chambers of
the past no longer conduct and profit
by the operations of the American ma
wy. There have also been extraordina-
ry exposures of rascality in the Pension
Bureau, where reform was evidently
badly needed. In two offices alone over
one thousand fraudulent names have
been stricken from the pension lists,
and the officials of the Bureau no lon
ger spend their time and official influ-
ence in partisan political work. In
the Interior Department the disclosures
of systematic robbery of the public
lands by cattle rings and other syndi-
Gates of capitalists have been startling,
and early received the attention of the
These abuses have
been remedied and thousands of acres
of public domain cleared of the wealthy
trespassers who were encouraged in
their operations under Republican rule.
Fraudulent land claims have been ex-
posed and honest settlers protected in
their rights. The operations of land
grant railroads have been thoroughly
and honestlyEinvestigated and the sys-
tenn under which the public domain
was being absorbed to fill the plethoric
pockets Of cormorantic monOp0lists has
has been promptly abrogated. In the
matter of the Mormons, there has been
greater progress made toward elimina-
ting the hideous evil of polygamy dur
ing nine months of Cleveland's admin
than in the quarter of a GEN.
tury of Republican cowardice and vas
cillation.
The promises of the Democracy of an
honest and economical Administration
Of national affairs are being fulfilled to
the letter, and the people, aside from
the robbers who plundered the national
treasury and their aiders and abetters,
are satisfied. The people demanded an
honest government, and they contem-
plate with satisfaction the efforts of
Mr.. Cleveland to show that their con-
fidence in him and the party he repre-
sents has not been misplaced.