The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-05-28
CONFLICTING CRITICISM.
President Cleveland's Administration Be
tween Two Fires.

tween Two Fires.
Some Democrats blame him for not
turning Republicans out of Office more
rapidly and generally and for over
looking some of the best politicians il
! the party in the appointments that have
been made.
The Independents fret and worry be-
cause he happens to appoint few men
to Office who are hard workers in the
party and labOred to make his election
possible.
Are these conflicting and contra
dictorY criticisms Just?
1t is noteworthy that the former COM
plants come mainly from journals which,
while pretending to be Democratic,
labored vigorously to defeat Mr.. Cleve-
land last year.
If President Cleveland were to maka
clean sweep of the hundred thou
sand office-holders for political cOnsil-
erations, he would falsify the pledges
on which he sought the votes of the
people and was elected.
Ii he should fail to make his Admin
istratiOn distinctly Democratic, to carry
out Democratic principles and to seek
by his appointm antS and policy to per
pe;uate and strengthen the Democratic
party. he would be equally false to the
pledges which secured his election.
Mr.. Cleveland accepted the Demo
cratic nomination. Without it he would
not have been Il candidate. He accept
ed and planted him elf upon the Demo
cratic platform. If he had repudiated
it he would have been defeated
That platform declared that the fun
damental principles of the Democracy
must forever remain as the best and
only security for the continuance OF
free government; Denounced the Re
publican party and its methods and re-
affirmed the declaration of the Demo-
cratic platform of 1856, ''that the liberal
principles embodied by Jefferson in the
Declaration OF Independence and sane.
toned in the Constitution, which make
ours the land of liberty and the asylum
of the oppressed of every nation, have
ever been cardinal principles in tn.
Democratic faith"
In addition to this, the platform
pledged the Democracy to purify the
Administration from corruption" and
to favor honest Civil-Seryice reform.
VIII any fair-minde1 Independent
argue that the President must in duty
prove true to the reform promises. but
may without dishonor disregard the pO-
litical and party promises?
Certainly the position taken by the
Independents in relation to few APP
pointments seems to imply that such is
their belief
Is this quite honest? Are not Secre-
tary Manning and Secretary Whitney
two Cabinet officers whom the indie
pendenss indorsed? Yet Mr. Manning
had for wears been prominent and
able politician. the boss of the Demo
cratic machine. as the Republicans
insisted, and had certainly had no eX-
perience in National office. Mr.
Whitney had also been an active. eff
Gent Democratic politician and was
not an expert in naval matters.
Are we to understand that the hide
pendent principle of Civil-Service re-
form is to condemn the appointment oil
active and useful politicians in small
revenue collectorships and to approve
such appointments in Cabinet Offices?
Ii makes no difference that Mr.. Man
ming promises to be a successful Secre-
tary of tn, Treasury. and Mr.. Whitney
an exceptionally capable, efficient and
successful Secretary of the Navy. Their
present capac ty was not known at the
time of their appointment. yet we do
not embcr that the New England
and New York Independent press pro-
tested againss them on account Of their
political services and activity.
Is it not true that Independents allow
themselves 30 be unconseously pre.u-
diced against what they call political
because thev DO not de-
sire the pezpetuatiOn of the Democracy?
Are they not led to detess working
Democrats because of their old preju-
dices against the party, which naturally
induce them to wish the destruction of
the Democratic organization and the
of some new reform party
on its ruins?
Rus can they consistently and with
honor ask in that work the assistance OF
a Democratic President who was SUD-
ported by nearly five million Demo-
Gratis because he was the Democratic
candidate, and as such pledged to carry
out the Democratic platform which
made the perpetuity of the Democratic
its distinctive featured?
n. Y. HOrld
EmDarorS of Cbina ara T1rSx-iloore<1