The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-09-26

jursa. The fact that the blow wa
necessary to his freedom was a pur
fiction, for he coull have been made
free man without being struck. Man,
Democrats believe that this reform, i
needed, could have been worked on
without giving an unnecessary blow
to the Democratic party, which, it j
hoped, may not prove so serious as thu
present deep-seated discomfort woult
seem to indicate.
"The Democratic party
DID NOT COMPLAIN THAT REPUBLICANS
FILLED THE OFFICES
under Republican administrations
Their complaint was grounded on the
fact that the Republicans grossly
abused their official positions, and
they promised the people that Repub-
licans would be turned out of Office
because they,had offended as a class,
and that Democrats would be appoint
cd in order to reform the civil service
and to secure the legitimate rewards
of successful contest. 1t is an in
suit to the intelligence Of tho Demo
cratic party and a reflection upon its
integrity to assume that it does not
possess the moral force to work out
any reform which may be desired by
the American people. 1t is offensive
to the pride of that great party to sec
any one of its leaders arrogate to him
self the functions of political censor
and to treat with naughty disdain the
true sentiments and the just aspira.
tions of the masses of the Democratic
party,
"Those who wish to indulge in un-
pleasant suspicious might believe that
they discover that this equivocal atti-
tude means
THE CREATION OF A PERSONAL PARTY
at the expense of the Democratic
party, for as yet little has been done
to strengthen the cohesion of the Dem
ocratic party. On the contrary, an at
tempt is being made to re-educate us,
and to teach us that the virtues of
party obligations, party discipline and
party fealty which our former leaders
taught us to respect as essential to the
preservation of the party are to be
discarded as offensos, because they arc
distastefpl to the puristS and reform
ers, who are now debating to us Dem
ocrats rules ofgood behavior.
at is an error to assume that those
who do not accept what they consider
an impracticable and undemoeratic
method of reforming the Civil Service,
are opposed to the correction of exist
ing abuses, They want to study this
question and to examine this system
which operates
TO PUT IN OFFICE SUCH A SMALL PER
CEBTAGE OF DEMOCRATS
under Republican administration and |
to keep in office such large percent
age of Republicans under a Demo
cratic administration. They want also
10 understand whether this proposed
'eform will not introduce into our
country an aristocratic institution,
which is in direct contradiction to the
'pirit of popular government, and
whether this creation of permanent
md exclusive class of olfice-holders is
lot subversiye of some of the fnnda-
mental features of our form of gov
'tIt is a grave mistake for any ono
o assume the leadership of a reform
movement unless there is a concur
ence Of the conditions essential to its
uccess. Leaving out the question of
ocal and passing abuses, this country
las never produced agrcater leader Of
eform, that is such men as have been
o conspicuous in the modern history
# England, France and Italy. The
lavery question is, of course, outside
f this discussion. Why has there
een in this country
UCH AN UTTER ABSENCE OF THIS TRANS
cEEDENTAL ROLE
oW presumptuously assumed by new
len? Simply because abuses with us
re not existing institutions, having
ad their birth in the middle ages,
Military conquest or royal fayoritism
S they exist in European countries,
ut they are evils which have grown
lto abuses by the nero indulgence of
be people, and the people become
heir own leaders when they discover
hat it is time to arrest the progress
{ any existing abuse.
"The American people are remark
BILE for their intelligence, education,
elf-reiant individuality, and are ca
able Of dissipating any abuse by the
lere force Of public opinion, and the
bedience which they can command
rom their representatives. At pres
Mt there is no evidence that the peo-
le are asking any one to teach them
WHAT IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE
pom their system Of government.
"Bpt IN the case Of o leader under
king to lead . party into battle for
form one must be ignorant Of all .
ie conditions which are necessary for
recess il he does not first ascertain
neither OF not there be strong nui-
ID sentiment in the party, so that he
~ advance with nnbroken line in his {
ssault upon the opposition, and be !
iust also ascertain that the opposi {
on is outside and not inside Of bis i
wn party. Otherwise he will find /
imself engaged in a dificult and ludi- I
rous task, showing geperelship with 8
Ut an army, war fought without . {
ruggle
rSuch an unsupported attempt at
form must inevitably encounter re- {
stance and reseptment, because it
harisaically implies that this scli-con.
itutcd leader Is purcF and wiser than !
is party, and inyites The profound
hiIosophieal criticism Of Edmund / (