Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-08-20
EMPTY PHRASES.
The commercial Advertiser, and
Anxar Nnrlr sAtn,naI ..n.... -


venerable evening contemporary is fair
and candid newspaper, and il works with
zeal for right things But ii is now and
then given to hackneyed forms of express
sion and to hnckneycd ways of thinking,
as when in its issue of yesterday it spoke
of ''the conspiracy and detection of the
independents their betrayal Of their
party last November !" of .the wholesale
violation of she rules of Civil Service re.
form MS now seen III full swing at Wash
ington, and of the hungry and thirsty
elements" which are violating the pledges
on which Mr., Cleveland was elected
Now, this is the very cheapest kind of
political cant, and the Commercial ddDer-
tiSei ought to be ashamed of it. There
was no conspiracy" of independents, no
''hetruynln of the Republican Party.
Conspiracies are usually secret, while the
proceedings of the independents last year
were public in the extreme; and such II
course as they took can never constitute
betrayal" until the false analogy which
shallow thinkers are always setting up he
tween political parties and Governments
or armies becomes true analogy. The
statement that wholesale violation of
the rules of Civil Service reform is to be
seen lin full swing at Washington" is
very inelegnnt not to say clumsy 1t
must be about as bad as anything the
half-educated boys of the Tribune have
ever written. But the statement is also
grossly untrue, which is much more
serious fault, The Commercial .ldgertiSer
ought not to stoop to such fustian.
That the hungry and thirsty elements
are violating the pledges upon which Mr..
Cleveland was elected is unfortunately
true, so far us those pledges are in the
keeping of those clements. Without any
solicitation from the independents the
hungry and thirsty pledged themselves
and their party to reform this govern
mtnt from stem TO stern if their ticket
was triumphant. This same element is
now lahoring to stay the reforms which,
very much 10 its establishment and dis
pleasure, the administration is carrying
out. Its efforts are only moderately sue
cessful, but il has certainly broken
its pledge and SO far the Com-
melrHl- ldcei9j~r is right. The
grief of the independents over these
broken pledges OF the Democratic
"tnughsh is profound and sincere, and its
poignancy is made tenfuld greater by the
fact that this is the first instance in
American political history in which ante
election pledges have been broken. Those
pledges are justly regarded as among the
most solemn and binding obligations
which man can take upon himself. The
vile behavior of the hungry and thirsty
i'll this respect appears all the more vile
when cDntrasted with the austere, minute,
and unfniling adherence of the Repub-
lican party to all of the ante. election
pledges of its-rlutforns and candidates.
But if the ttWH,tlcidl .tdrertj@r does
not wish to lie Judged guilty Of those sius
against fairness and morality with which
it so justly reproachcs the IR5HHc it
should not luy the misdteds Of the hungry
and thirsty Bourbon Democracy At The
dGor of m administration which is not 1T
all Of their WAY Of thinking OF acting.
President Cleveland is trying to give this
country Just such mn administration as
would he enthusiastically praised and
supported by the FORtmt1rid3 .t3rfrtjStr
il IT were tha administration of Repuh-
licall President. We advise ullr cont,m-
poraly to make an earnest effort 10 break
up the old partisan habit Of withholding
praise from 4 Democratic President or
other officer when praise is Justly due.
We know the habit is tenacious. Int so is
the rum habit and the opium habit, Vet
men Who have been slaves to rum or
opium have burst their bonds. Let the
COHGmeTciW .ldreltiSer make the attempt.
II il does not il will soon find itsrlf
with only such newspapers as tile 1tihEH,
for company. Sensible Republican news.
papcrs md fuir-mindcd Republicans in
MI parts of the country are frankly
| acknowledging TINT the administration
| deserves n good dead more praise than
| blame for its work thus far. II seems TO
rs that Mlhi n president striving to do
right is assaulted by the disrcputablc
clements Of his purity ii is the duty of
| patriotic and right thinking mon Of what
| eyer political tuith 10 strengthen his arm
by approval and encouragement.
free Railroad Rides Gnr tile Needy,
| thilaaclphir Ledger,
Detective William Allmcndingcr has
among his other functions At police head
| quarters tile task Of taking cure of the
| lnt1rtunntts who may become stranded
for lack Of funds while on their way 10
their homes or friends III other cities. He
| has procured transportation for hundreds
OF persons, often after great importantly
NJ railroad offices for passes or tickets 1T
reduced rates of fare Frequently he
has taken up collections among friends
| and procured half-farp tickets when he
| was unable to gct free TRANSPORTATION
The recipients of this charity invariably
depart with prufuSr expressions of thanks
and professions Of Hndying obligations
and determination to refund the money
advanced TO mly thtir fare When asked
yesterday how many people Had SO no.
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