The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-04-09
SUDDEN CONVERSIONS.
Highly Commendable If One Could Onl
BE Sure OF Their Sincerity.

Highly Commensurate III One Gould Only
BE Sure Of Their Sincerity.
The sudden conversion of our Repub-
ican friends to the excellent doctrine OF
civil-service reform and their vigorous
denurciation of partisanship, and of
aught relating to the spoils system,
would be highly commeEaskls If the
people were only convinced of their
sincerity. But the circumstances un-
der which the conversion took place.
and the notorious system Of corruption
which grew to such enormous proper
tions under the fostering care of the
Republican party, are apt to make peo-
pie very incredulous. The condition
which the public service reached under
thu administration of that party was
thus admirably described by Mr.. Bay
ard over two years ago: Original 4p-
pointlnent to Office no longer depends
on character, capability or presumed
or proven fituess. nor does the tenure
depend upon fitness or capacity; but
unhes'itating service as a political and
personal partisan, to whom scruple OF
any kind will be only an incumbrance,
has become the most reliable ground
work for success in procuring or re.
tanning public Office. Thus, gradually,
an ar my of mercenaries has been organ
lied, who are strong enough TO control
conve ntions and nominating assem-
blies, set at defiance public opinion,
and laugh to scorn public Conscience
A party that encouraged and developed
such d system is not exactly reliable
authority on civil service or non-parti-
san principles.
Then beneath the sleeps clothing of
civil service professions the partisan
wolf is being constantly revealed. It
is shown in the bitter opposition of the
Republican Senate here against the
nomination of Democrat to petty Of
fee by a Democratic Governor. It is
evidenced in the relentless war waged
upon Governor Albeit, of New Jersey,
by the Republican members of the Leg
islature. 1t is constantly peeping out
in the columns of Republican newspa-
pers. Yet every movement of the new
Administration is jealously watched by
those newly-converted reformers who
are prepared to howl against PARTISAN
ship. They, who claimed every Office
by right of party conquest and intro
duceol the practice of making appoint
ments, promotions and removals in
the subordinate civil service on the
basis of official favoritism or parti-
san interests. are now the most clam
orous advocates of Civil-Service Re-
form and would go to the extent
of depriving the President and his cabi-
net OF all liberty of action. They for
get that the procuring OF Office by i'm
proper means and the use of Office for
partisan purposes strike at the very
foundations of Civil-Service Reform.
How many Republican officeholders can
say that they have no. sinned in either
particular The purpose of the Demo-
cratic administration is to apply the
Civil-Service rules to those in office as
well as to ofice-seekers and careful and
prudent application of such rules. and
thereby bring around the euthanasia of
the spoils system. But we would earn
estly advise our Republican friends to
refrain from over in iulgence in COM
ment on Civil-Service Reform, lest their
newborn zeal might be interpreted in
this wise:
When the devil was sick, the devil a monk
When Ged the devil vi was well, the devil monk was
he.
Albany argus.