Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-05-05
dbe Carfaster 1ntelligclltcr.
LANCASTER. MAY o, 1885.
The Virtue In Slowness.

The Cincinnati Enquirer and the Louis
vile Courier-Jo,rnalh have given expression
TO very opposite views of President Cl
land g policy in regard to the federal offices.
The first condemns while the latter ap
proves. Mr.. Watterson of the Journal
writes from Washington, whittier he has
repaired that he may see just how the cat
is jumping; and he finds it to be jumping
all right; albeit somewhat slowly; but
slowness, he proceeds to explain, is a very
good thing in the premises, as it gives op-
portunity to avoid mistakes. The En-
qsdrer on the other hand thinks
that the broth may be spoiled en-.
tirely by long cooking, and it agrees
with Senator Eustis that the Democratic
party will not stand much more of it.
Since Editor Watterson finds, as the result
Of his investigation at Washington, that
we havea Democratic administration it is
clear that what the Democracy will not
stand the administration cannot afford
to do.
But the Democracy will have great
deal Of patience with President Cleveland
30 long as they see the results of his work to
be good. They are not troubled SO much
by the slowness with which his removals
and appointments are made as by the fact
that some of his selections for Office have
not been at all good.
But as Mr.. Watterson, or somebody else,
suggests, and as is obvious to any under
standing, mistakes will be made in the best
regulated household ; and in change of
political administration, which involves the
necessity OF examining into the conduct of
every office, and the fitness Ct tie
applicants for every c2hHnistakes are mar.
ticularty " (asily forgiveabie if
'cney are notto6 ndny and fragrant. The
errors so far have been in Secretary
Bayard's selections, and they show that
even very able man may not take suddenly
upon imselfadministrativ duties, without
being often tripped up in his early essays at
! government. Secretary Bayard's conf.
dence has been abused by men in whose
Judgment and recommendation he had
good cause to rely; but if he had had more
experience as secretary, he would not SC
readily have fallen a victim to the conf.
dence game. Hewould have known that
the public officer needs to act on knowl.
edge and may not rely on faith.
If the presidents deliberation in remov
ais and appointments is going to keep him
from mistakes in them, he is very wise to
make haste slowly and seeing how his
secretary has been deceived by the repre-
sentations OF Tie friends of applicants for
place, he perhaps has become doubly eau
tious and determined to know jus st what he
is doing before he does it. There are a
great many Democrats in the country fit to
adorn its official positions and there are a
great many unfit and the fittest are not al
ways most conspicuous. The president has
shown himself to be fully cognizant of this,
and the politicians who have thought they
had but to ask to have, have found them
selves mistaken, and are greatly dis
gruntled thereat. Fitness needs to 90
with political service to make the
latter proper recommendation to office !:
and fitness is far the most important requi-
site OF the two. If the president will find
fit officers when he finds them we can well
afford to give him his time to do it: and
the people will not complain of his slow
ness, in sight Of his success nor will the
politicians, for they dare not. They must
dance to the music.