The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-01-08

The "Mugmumps neaueu Dy tnelr grea'
chief, George William Curtis, have written Q
letter to president elect Cleveland, on the
subject of civil service reform, to which
Grover replied in letter that is truly worthy
of the leader of the great democratic party
The writer of the letter evidently took the
democratic platform as his model. That
was so framed as to mean free trade, tariff
for revenue only, or protection, just as suited
the taste of its reader, or as circumstances
seemed to demand.
Clevelands letter is patterned after the same
model, that is to say, it is in favor of civil
service reform with big "If" He writes in
strain that is well calculated to make the
heart of mugwump leap for Joy. He con-
dennis the spoils system in terms Of great Sc
verify, even going beyond the letter of the
law and expressing his conviction that there
is class of government positions which, al
though not embraced within the statute,
are so disconnected with the policy of
an administration that the removal there
from of the present incumbents should not
be made during the terms for which they
were appointed, solely on partisan grounds.
Had Mr.. Cleveland terminated his letter after
having thus expressed his convictions there
would have been no difficulty in understand
ing his position. But he goes further and
says that many now holding such positions
have forfeited al just claim to retention be-
cause they have used their places for party
people, and because, instead of being decent
public servants they have proved themselves
offensive partisans, and INSCRIPTIONS manip-
ulators of party management. This is equiv
alent to saying that republican officials who
have had the courage of their convictions,
and who exercised their rights as American
citizens to vote for and support the candi-
dates of their own party must be made to
walk the plank. We fancy that Mr.. Cleve-
land will find few republicans in Office who
cannot be brought within the liberal interpre-
tation which he will undoubtedly put upon
the last above mentioned clause of his letter.
The new president will find no difficulty in
setting the political guillotine at work and.
without doubt, official heads will fall into the
basket with sufficient rapidity to disgust
their owners and to delight their democratic
successors.
The first part of Cleveland's letter was in
tended TO crafty his 81 am holier than thou"
boiling republican supporters; while the lat
ter part was calculated to give aid and COM
fort to the great throng of democrats who,
when their party is out, believe most thor
oughly in civil service reform, and who,
when their party is in, cling with tenGcity
to the Jacksonian doctrine that TO the vic
tors belong the spoils. A fair construction
of Mr. Cleveland's letter is, that he favors
sincerely that kind Of civil service reform
that reforms republicans out and democrats
in.
But let the new president take such course
as he may on this question, he will find be
has hard road to travel. Should he attempt
in good faith to carry out the civil service
laws he will raise such a commotion in the
ranks of his party as will make life burden
TO him. On the other hand If he shall do
what the great majority of his followers ex-
pect and desire, turn out the present repub
lican incumbents as rapidly as possible and
replace them with democrats, there will be
quite as much, and perhaps even greater
dissatisfaction. BY the latter course he
would not Only ALLEVIATE the boiling republi-
cans, but would create an army of dissatis-
fed democrats. II is entirely within bounds
TO say that for every Office within the gift of
the democratic party after the 4th day of
March, there will be at least dozen demo-
cratic asphants. They have been on the
outside for many years, and are very hungry
and very thirsty, and while those who are
successful will be satisfied and will be ardent
supporters of the administration, the disap- |
pointed hosts who cannot be provided for
because the offices are not numerous enough !
to go round, will kick most vigorously.
Viewed from any standpoint, the position
in which Mr.. Cleveland will be placed will |
be most difficult and trying one, and if he
shall succeed in shaping his course 30 as to
hold his supporters together until the COM
ing of another presidential campaign he
viii have proven himself to be veritable
political Moses.