The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-24
STERLING AND REFORM" GENERALLY.

AA'sAASu nAhI w 70 q port WdIuol VI ANeW AoLA
city, in place Of a Republican. The salary
and fees amount to about So, 1000 year, and
the Office has little "pollytickle influence
attached to it. The State of New York oper-
ates under a civil-service reform law, but this
place does not come under the provisions of
that statute. However, it must be confirmed
by the Senate, and it is said the appointment
will be rejected when communicated to that
body.
The appointment of Mr.. Sterling by Gov.
Hill has started up all the quidnuncs One
set affect to see in it a straight hit from the
shoulder at President Cleveland by the
''spoils" Governor of New York, and long
habetudinous editorials are written in the
mugwump papers defending Cleveland
and Genouncing HILL because the
former did not appoint Sterling and the
latter did. They grow red in the face with
their voluble assertions that this appointment
still further emphasizes the fact that the
nomination and election of Governor Hill
were antagonistic to Mr.. Clevelands admins
tration, and that their fool and insane position
that the way to indorse Cleveland was to de-
feat Hill is proven to be the very acme of
political wisdom and astuteness. In the teeth
of all this rhodomontade stands the fact that
President Cleveland caused his private secre-
tary to write public letter, in his name, in
dorsing Mr.. Hills nomination; the further
fact that both Secretaries Manning and Whit
ney wrote letters for themselves and the
President urging Hills election; the further
fact that Mr.. Cleveland sent check for one
thousand dollars to aid in the election Of
Hill, and the still further fact that Mr.
Cleveland travelled a thousand miles in an
ostentatious manner to vote for Mr.. Hill
Mr.. Cleveland did not think the way to be in
dorsed was to defeat Hill, and yet the mug
wumps persist in proving him dolt in order
to save themselves from their own logic.
The New York Times says: Upon George
II. Sterling, man whom the President has
in effect declared to be unfit for the federal
service, Governor Hill ostentatiously confers
the doubtful honor Of an appointment to an
Office in his own gift" Now the truth is, the
way Mr. Cleveland declared Mr. Sterling
s'unfit" was to have himself delivered of a
long and labored defense of change in the
civil-service rules made solely and expressly,
according to the statements of Mr. Edgerton,
president of the civil-service board, to fit Mr.
Sterlings case, and to open the way for his
appointment as weighmaster. If Mr.. Edger-
ton is to be believed, there was no other pur-
pose in view when the rules were suspended,
and Mr.. Cleveland's own argument was to the
effect that if the suspension of the rules re-
suited in the appointment of Mr.. Sterling, no
friend Of civilservice reform should COM
plain. This is the way in which Mr.. Cleveland
"declared' Sterling "unft for an appoint
ment." The only reason why Sterling was
not appointed in the federal service was be-
cause Collector Hedden did not feel like being
made tool or fool of for the purpose of keep
ing up the ''reform" farce for Grover Cleve-
land.
There is no greater burlesque on the boards
at the present time than the farce of the
Democratic administration in the role of civil
service reform. Secretary Manning has made
clean sweep of all the officers in the internal
revenue service. But two collectors remain
who were in Office on the 4th Of March last,
and these are to be removed soon. The At.
torney-general has made clean sweep of all
the officers in his department-only a few
minor clerks and scrub women are left in the
bureau. In the Postofice Department
the most sweeping changes have been
made in the higher Offices, while
the First Assistant has been chopping off
heads at the rate Of one hundred day since
he succeeded the dying Hay, who could not
WELD the official ak strongly enough to suit
the Performers" And it is thus throughout
the entire administration. Let any candid
man look at the Indiana federal Offices and
see how much reform" has been pract;ced.
The Journal has no objection to these re-
movals, considered from a partisan point of
view; the objection We make is to the cant and
hypocrisy with which it is attempted to clothe
the administration. What more could any
administration do than that of Mr. Cleveland
has done9 Even the complaints and criticisms
of Mr.. Hendricks have been stifed.
IT will be remembered that in the citv cleo
ton preceding the recent one serious CUES
ton was raised as to the legality of certain