Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-17
Disappointed Republicans.


The Presidents course with respect TO
the offices does not please the Republican
leaders. The Republican papers seize
upon every opportunity to lead the work
ers of the Democratic party to think that
they are very badly treated because all
the Republicans were not turned out OF
office as soon as the new administration
was inaugurated, and their places filled
with Democrats.
Their dispatches from Washington are
written so as to leave the impression that
the President wants to make his "admin-
istration better than his party" and that
he has no gratitude, and does not intend
to listen to the claims of those who gave
their time and money to secure the sue
cess OF the Democratic party. For in
stance, a Washington dispatch in the
Philadelphia Press says that ''Cleveland
and his Cabinet have very little in COM
mon with the masses of the Democratic
party. Mr.. Cleveland's appointments
prove the truth of this statement From
the members of his Cabinet down through
the list OF the more prominent appoint
ments social and sentimental considera-
lions have had far greater weight with
the President that efficient party service
The same sort of stuff as this is printed
in other leading Republican papers. But
why are the Republican papers attacking
the President because he is moving
slowly in making changes in the offices?
The reason is not difficult TO understand.
The Republican leaders see that civil SER
vice reform is popular with those whose
voices are seldom, or never, heard dis
cussing politics in barrooms or on street
corners, but who are power at the bal
lot-box. They compose, in fact, nine
tenths of the voters. Both political par
ties strOve to win the favor Of these voters
when, in their national platforms, they
solemnly pledged themselves to do their
utmost for the cause of civil service
reform.
The Presidents standing by the pledges
made to the people in the platform on
which he was elected, and the Republi-
can leaders see that their strength is being
drawn away from them. They thought
that the pressure for places would be so
great that the President would be forced
to abandon the position his party took
during the campaign, and they would
have the chance to make capital for their
own party by parading before the public
the failure of the President and his party
to keep their promises.
The course of the President has griev-
Ously disappointed them, and now they
are trying to excite hostile feeling to-
wards the President among the workers
of the Democratic party with the hope OF
forcing the President to abandon his posi-
ton.
If they could have their way they would
have every Republican turned out of office
at once in order that they might attack
the administration and charge it with
weakness, and a failure to keep its
pledges.
1t is probable, however, that neither the
Republicans nor the few disappointed
Democrats will be able to force the Presi-
dent. to abandon his policy with regard to
the offices. He will go on as he has be-
gun, conscious that the people are satisfied
with him and his administration. He will
make changes slowly, not because he
would not rather have the right sort of
Democrats in the Offices, but because he
wants the Offices filled with good men,
and does not propose to remove GOOD
Republican official until he can find a
Democrat who is as well or better quail
fed for the place. He does not believe in
putting Democrats in office simply be-
cause they are Democrats. He wants to
be certain that those whom he appoints
will reflect credit on the administration
and give satisfaction in their respective
communities.