The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-05-06
MEETING personal OBLIGATION

MEETING personal OBLIGATION"
Governor Long, of Massachusetts,. said re-
Gently: Thus far the new administration
has in many respects done well. There is,
Of course, enough to criticise. The promises
have not al been kept Some appointments
have been made at which you hold your
noses. With some good diplomatic selections,
others wretchedly infelicitous have been
mingled. There has been the usual dispen-
sation of patronage, under departmental
control, for the purpose Of meeting personal
obligations"
To the foregoing We will give our sprightly
ard esteemed contemporary, the Indianapo-
lis Freeman, opportunity to reply in these
columns. The freeman says: "Mr. Long
is mistaken when he says that there has
been the usual dispensation of patronage
under departmental control for the purpose
of meeting personal obligations There has
been some of this, unfortunately, bat moth
ing like the usual amount of il. Are we to
infer from the use of the word usual in this
connection that patronage has been habit
ually used during the twenty-four years
of Republicsnism for the purpose
of meeting personal obligations? Mr..
Long can mean nothing else than
this; hence thu very fact that the Dsmo.
cratic administration is continuing the
usual practices in this regards fact which
the Governor is quick to condemn in an ad-
versary-should be looked upon rather as an
endorsement of the Republican party and
lis twenty-four years than as a subject for
fault finding. Could there be any finer trib-
ute to the Republican party and its twenty
four years than the adoption OF Its method
of distributing the Offices? But if the Gov
ernor will think the matter over carefully.
and will consent to exercise his memory
little bit, he viii find that Mr.. Cleveland
hes not followed the usual practices.
His mistakes have been the exception,
not the rule. Civil service reform has
bad fair treatment at his hands. AS to
the Pearson appointment it is an open Sc
cret that that gentleman would not have
been reappointed had Mr.. Blaine been
elected President; PesYson's removal, not
bis retention, would have been matter
of co1rse.' Mr. Long was one OF the 'dudes'
alorg with NJ. Curtis. Mr.. White aad Mr..
Roosevelt at the Chicago Convention; this,
perhaps, accounts for the decsncy of his
speech. He is partisan enough to feel that
lac must find fault with the administration;
he does so, however, with some regard for
the truth.n
The Freeman is correct in its criticisms.
The Republican uarty disposed OF Its pat
ronage to meet personal obligations by the
wholesale. Not = Senator, Congressman or
Cabinet officer of the party who did not 90
il. There has been but very little OF it done
by the present administration. Pearson's
political salvation existed only in case of
Mr.. Clsveland's Success. Blaine would have
cleared him out bag and baggage He was
en- offensive partisan" from the Blaine
standpoint. He had kept too quiet in his
New York Postofice during the campaign to
suit the Republican bosses, and his name had
been blacklisted. With BIaine's coming IN
there would have followed Pesrson's going
out. Blaine would have taken no more
stock in civil service reform than in birds
meet Of last year. The more decent the Re-
publican the less valuable would lac have
been in the sight of the Blaine crowd.
Blaine's success would have brought his dis
comfture and downfall.