The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-09
NOT AN ,miIATOa
The Dem ocratic Administration Not n
Copyist of Republican Methods.

The Democratic Administration Not a
Copyist of Republican Metho Is
One thing is clear already-the new
Administration at Washington is not to
be an imitator of Republican prece-
dents. 1t will not do things in a GER
tain way merely because its late prede-
cessors did them in that way. The
new Cabinet Ministers are not dunn
mics. Bayard, Manning, Whitney and
| Lamar have already revealed themselves
as men who do their own thinking,
without being content to tread docilely
/ in the footsteps OF those who preceded
| them, and accept rs sacred and immuta-
bic al they find done in their depart
ments- Mr.. Bayard gives the first
! sharp official recognition of our inter-
eSts IN Central America that has been
exhibited for more than twenty years,
and Secretary Whitney supports him by
ordering the Yant!c to Port Livingston,
Guatemala, to protect the rights of our
| citizens against violence by the dictator
Barrios. We have a right to infer from
this that our navy is not to 60 on phi
landeriug in gay and festive seapOrts as
it has been doing for twenty years past.
but is to be put to work, even if its
task be only TO display our flag in out
of-the-way places and remind the world
that there is such a power as the United
States.
Secretary Manning, of the Treasury,
has Knocked off one fungus growth on
his department in abolishlng the fraud
roll, >" as it is called. an organization of
spies and informerS maintained and
pad ostensibly to look after underyal-
uatiOn frauds on the revenue, but really
to tap the custom-hOuSe IL New York
for political and personal advantage
The new Secretary of the Treasury,
who is himself New Yorker. under
stands the fraud roll business, and
knows that its agents, some of whom
are now under trial for c9llusion in
frauds on the revenue, are more active
in inst eating and hiding undervalua-
tons than in exposing them.
Mr.. Lamar, too, finiS that the In
terror Department needs reforming, and
exhibits the capacity to do the work
He is not willing that it shall remain
just as he received it from the late Sec
retary Teller He has ALREADY annulled
two OF the late Secretary's orders, one
for giving the backbone land grant
of seven hundred thousand acres to
the New Orleans 4 Pacific Rail-
road Company, and another
throwing open to settlers the
Crow Greek reservation in Da-
kOta without pro Getting the Indians on
the farms they have acquired by settle
ment. In both these decisions Secreta-
~ Teller; it is asserted, acted with I'M
due haste, if not in gross disregard of
his duty; and he has his hands full just
now in the Senate defending them
against attacks, in which even Repub-
lican Senators join. 1t is strange
thing for a Republican Cabinet-officer
to have his official record ripped up"
in this style, and the feelings of Mr..
Teller under th>operat.on are not to be
envied.
The acton of these four heads of de-
partments shows us. then, that the
Cleveland administration is to be some
thing else than tame in itator of Re-
publican methods and practices. 1t has
too much vigor and independence in it
for that. 1t will think for itself and |.
construe the laws for itself. 1t will
show that the spirit and temper of De-
mocraey are different from the spirit
and temperOf Republ:eaniSm, and leave
it to the people to decide which is the |
better.-St- Louis Republicans.