The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-12-16

upon our extension and the mania for Office
holding growing from its indulgence, would
pervade our population so generally that
patriotic purpose, the support Of principle,
the desire for the public good and solicit
tude for the nations welfare would be
nearly banished from the activity of our
party interests and cause them to degener-
ate into selfish and disgraceful struggles for
the possession of Office and public place.
Civil service reform, enforced by law, came
none too soon to check the progress of de-
moralization. One of its effects, not enough
regarded, is the freedom it brings to the po-
ltical action of conservative men, who, in
fear of the confusion attending an arbitrary
and sudden change in all the public offices
with change of party rule, cast their bal
lots against such chance
While there is much in the message
that can be heartily commended, there
are some portions that are open to crit
icism. AS Senator Hoar is reported to
have said, everything that the Presi-
dent has recommended the republicans
have tried to do for the last ten years,
but the democrats of the house have
prevented them from doing it," This
is especially true of his recommends
tons regarding the improvement of the
navy, the Indian and Mormon prob
lens and the presidential succession.
The silver question is not strictly
party one; but the compulsory coinage
of silver has many more advocates
among democrats than republicans.
Though the President is outspoken on
civil service reform, he does not at
tempt to explain how the appointments
of Higgins, Troup, Hedden and others
can be reconciled with his professions;
nor does he explain why many officers
have been removed long before the ex-
piration of their commissions for no
other than political reasons. He pro-
poses to stand by the civil service law
as it exists; he could do no less than
that, and yet the attempt made short
time ago to nullify an important provis-
ion of that law, in the Stirling case,
shows that modification of the statute
would be highly acceptable to the adj
ministration. Like many others who
make civil service reform hobby, the
President seems to regard the manner
of filling the minor federal offices of
more consequence than free and fair
suffrage, for he omits any allusion to
the latter. On some questions the
President is certainly in advance of the
majority of his party, but so far as his
views antagonize those of the principal
democratic leaders they will be passed
unheeded. His position on the tariff
question is decided straddle, though
in recommending freer interchange
of commodities with foreign nations in
stead of subsidies to restore American
commerce, he squints at free-trade.
His statement that our revenues are in
excess of the actual needs of an eco
nomical administration of the govern
ment is inconsistent with the report
of the secretary of the treasury that the
estimated amounts required by the va
rious departments exceed the estimate
of revenues by more than $24 100000
In other respects than those mentioned
the Presidents views are more in ac-
cord with republican ideas than with
democratic policy and precedent.