New-York tribune., 1885-08-14
WHAT HIS THE ADMINISTRATION DONE


What has this Administration donei 1t is
right that it should be judged by its record.
Its partisans, in so far as they claim that.
appeal to the public sense of justice and fair
play. In so far as they do not claim that, but
wish to have the Administration judged still by
what it processes and promises, regardless OF
what it has done, they deserve the treatment
which the confidence man is apt to receive who
tries his little game too often on the same
victim.
The Administration has done little beside
making changes in tho offices. What Mr..
Cleveland calls the office-hunting disease
has affected his party so generally that 1t has
really asked nothing of its new Administration
thus far except to give pap and places to par
tisans. This has been promised in Ohio and IN
other States where pending elections enable
partsans to appeal to the President with great
urgency. The statement published by Demo
cratic paper of Cincinnati, that he definitely
promised to n State Senator that all the post
Offices should at once be put into the charge of
Democrats in that State, implies but repcti-
ton of promises said to have been made some
time ago to Governor Hoadly. Meanwhile,
controversies are constantly arising in different
Custom House at New York, mentioned yester-
day, or in the post-Otlice at indianapolis, which
show that the Civil Service rules are of no
practical avail where jealous partisans in office
wish to evade or defeat them. In appointing
Jealous partisans, therefore. Mr. Cleveland is
providing for the systematic defeat OF the
rules which he processes to enforce. He has
appointed some good men; it was not to be
expected that he would not. But he has
appointed many bad men, and some very bad
men, and manyiwhose selection is so strange, In
contrast with the professions of the President,
that in the light of them it seems scarcely
credible that the professions are honestly
meant.
Is that all In broader sense, has the
party exhibited no better aims or methods
Has the course of the Administration given no
reason to expect substantial reforms, beyond
that sort of reform which consists in putting
experienced Republicans out, in order that
inexperienced Democrats may go in 7 Demo-
cratic Journals have complained a great deal
about official jaunts and junketings, vacations
and pleasure trips, at public expense. The
iunketings still go on, and they are still at
public expense. No reform appears in that
quarter. RefOrmers of the Civil Service pattern
| have promised the country that the new
| Administration would bring to pass a non
| partisan Civil Service, and that no removals of
| efficient officers should be made for partisan
| reasons. Eut the removals have been many,
and a large proportion of them have been
avowedly for partisan reasons and no others,
and there is as yet no indication of desire to
make the service non-partisan. One of the
| ,.l,o Of fho ahtt.n Of rafr in
years gone by, has been the maintenance of
Boss rule in the different States and it was
with great joy but after great difficulty that the
| Republican party Ovcrcame that abuse of
power Yet VIC find It to-day reviving with
| great rapidity and in the very worst form.
Any Democrat can name the persons who
now bosses in New-York, iu Pennsylvania, in
Ohio, and in many other States.
Regarding public policy, what changes
appear The Treasury Department promised
resolute resistance to silver payments. And
| yet it has begun silver payments already, and
its only Jealous effort thus far has been to
thrust more silver into circulation. The Post
Office Department promised much, bat its only
| change thus far has been to set aside both the
| law and the public interest in regard TO the
| foreign mail service, in order to fish for the
sort of public applause which only the ignorant
give and which cnly demagogues seek. The
| Navy Department sought the same sort of
public favor by forcing into bankruptcy most
successful American ship-bulder, but, after
wronging him beyond repair, it is now going to
finish his vessels in his own yard. The Interior
Department may best be Judged by the conduct
of the pensions service, which has been COM
pletely disorganizcd by the change for purely
partisan reasons in 400 examining boards, and
in some cases the changes have been in the last
appointment of that doctor in Massachusetts
who had been proved guilty of making false
degree disgraceful. The Attorney General
has SO far done nothing, except to
deliver an opinion foi partisan pur-
pose, which any lawyer 'would pronounce
utterly unworthy of his reputation. No new
policy has been disclosed by the Army Depart
ment and the State Department has mani
tested it's purpose only by the selection of
dsloyal persons to represent the country
abroad. Is there in all this any evidence OF
better ideas or aimsf Will any one say that
the new men who have been appointed are on
| the whole better officials than the experienced
men they displacedf Or will any one say that,
in the public policy it has disclosed, the new
Democratic Administration is in any one respect