The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1885-04-29
DEMOCRATIC TESTIMONY.

years past has been the Charge, repeat
ed in thousand shapes and on all pos
sible occasions, that the departments in
this city were "reeking with corrup-
ton" The most resonant and inspir-
ing shibboleth of Democratic cam
paigns has been: "Turn the rascals
out" So necessarily and forcibly has
this corruption +" been dwelt upon, SO
graphically have the "rascals " been
painted, so moving has been the pict-
ure of the Government in the hands
of thieves" that the Democratic
masses were really educated into the
belief that riotous rascality was the
rule and manly honesty the exception
In the executive departments.
During tho recent Presidential cam
paign the Departments were frequently
spoken of as Augean stables. We be-
lieve it was Senator Payne, of Ohio, q
gentleman whose lofty standard of
official integrity has been mentioned In
connection with the Standard oil, who
gave utterance to eloquent thoughts on
this Augean stable topic And. II wo
recall the incidents of the campaign
correctly, the Hon. Thomas A. Hen
bricks, guide, philosopher and friend Of
Joseph L. Acknowledgement with So
norous ponderosity on the same ex-
haustless theme as he passed from
stump to stump. The Democratic
Hercules whom they had nominated
for the Presidency was billed and
posted to clean out the Augean stables,
and the country was to witness sub
lime moral spectacle-the exodus of
rascals" and the advent Of patriots.
Well, Hercules came in month ago
to-day, but where. is the cleAnsingp
4 Where are the "rascalsp" What are
the facts to show that there was one
iota of truth in the charge Of general
corruption in the service9 A few en-
ployes who were deemed superfuous
have been discharged A few others
have been transferred from the White
House TO Department rolls. A few old
horses and vehicles have been sold, but
there has not been uttered single hint
that ''rascality" has been detected. In
the removal Of prominent officials. such
as the heads OF bureaus, there has been
no prctcnse of any other object than to
! get Republicans out and Democrats in.
A writer in the Boston Journal calls at
tention to interesting facts in this con-
neciion. He says:
'Thc Departments which the Demo-
cratic organs asked to have investi-
gated. particularly the Navy, seem to
be going on as usual, the Secretary even
going so far as to refuse to rescind the
orders OF his predecessor. The Post
master General has informed q friend
that his Department was found by him
to be in excellent shape, and he has
already informed officers connected
with the postal railway service that it
was SO efficient that he should not make
any removals.
| According to q correspondent Of the
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, one OF
the new heads of the departments stated
in the presence of several gentlemen
that he was surprised at tho discipline,
industry and competency which he
found in his department because he
had come to believe from tho constant
charges made that the departments
were full of political creatures and in
competents, and that they needed thor
ough oyerhauling. The statement Of
the Cabinet member in question is SO
emphatic that we copy it:
He had become convinced that In
no private establishment in the land, no
matter how strictly conducted, was
there the perfection Of system, the thor
oughness OF discipline, the general
faithfulness and efficiency, that existed
in his department. There are men in
the Offices who have spent their lives
there, and who arc as much part Of
the system as q spoke is q part of the
wheel. When want to know anything
in my department the messenger who
has been there for many years can tell
what gentleman to call upon, and he
will come in and tell me anything |
want to know down 70 the minutest
points. and go blck u generation in per-
sonal knowledge, and In q moment can
lay his hand upon and produce anything
In the way of history, documents or writ
ton matterfor my information. Now, sup
| pOoC Il Dub 0uCti uitu tuOoo OuJ lOl
party reasons and fill their places with
new men more utterly ignorant of the
matters Of tho department than / am
myself, do you not see that 1t would be
rliinous 10 the department and to the
Government, though 1t would satisfy
some political workersP / was sur
prised, too, to find what large pro-
portion OF the men are men Of family,
sober, quiet, reliable citizens, doing
their duties steadily, ia thfully, and
efficiently, rearing families and holding
their places in the world as good citi.
zens, husbands and fathers. A large
proportion of the clerks are OF this char
acter. and have not been able to trace
score of men so far, placed in the de-
partment for purely political reasons. :"
! This, II should be remembered is the
testimony OF Democratic official who
would not hesitate to expose, and make
party capital out OF, rascality, corrup
tion. or even inefiicioncy, II he found f
Well may the Boston Journal remark
that, taking this Democrat as q wit
ness, twenty-four years Of Republican
rule has given the country o well-nigh
perfect civil-service IN the departments
at Washington. "--National Republican.
| "A Mr. Hubbard. n bay fisherman.