The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-04
then the rest of the people can unite in raising
q memorial in honor Of their chief at the
national capital.

the mugwumps to impeach Postmaster Jones,
it is to be said tn lat little or nothing has hap
pened to assure them that the cause to which
they are welded would be better cared for in
Republican hands From Republican sources
they have received little else than systematic
sneers which would he insulting if they chose
to give them sufficient weight. For unosten-
tatious efforts. as private citZens-and they
are among the estinable citizens OF this COM
munity-to have a law enforced, they have
been held up before the country by Republi
can comment as half fools, known weaklings,
"sily- billys," the sort of slobber chin folk who
can't be trusted to chew gum without string
to it. If this be specimen of Republican re-
ward for effort to enforce law, where is there
any inference that such effort would be any
more decently treated were it the Republican
party that was charged with the adninistra-
tione-Iudianapolis News.
We think there are few but understand the
sneers of Republicans in this case They are
not aimed at citizens who favor good govern
ment, civil-service reform and the lifting of
Offices above the jugglery of partisan demands.
The News knows this, in common with all in
teligent citizens. So do the mugwumps
themselves. They know, and everybody
knows, that the moving cause Of the sneers
that Republicans so i'll conceal is spirit Of
I-told-you-so. 1t may be a little undignied
and little cruel, but it is human For
months last year the Republican press en-
deavored to teach the few who left that party
TO go to the aid of the Democracy that
they were committing moral hari kari;
that the reforms they hoped for
would be incomparably surer of fulfill
ment under a Republican than under
a Democratic administration, and that in
event OF Democratic success, they would wit
ness grand rush for the spoils and gradual
breaking down of the civl-serv;ce law These
dent has made negative show of enforcing
the rules, but only in the way of moving
slowly in the matter of apportioning the Of
fees. lie could hardly do more than
he has without having a swarm of
disappointed seekers about his ears,
while, as it is, so many are still hopeful that
they hold the mob in check. But among
those he has appointed are some prominent
examples of officials who despise the law that
hobbies and retards the party. Mr. Villas at
the head of the Postofice Department, has
paid precious little attention to the rules, and
compromised himself and the President by
issuing a confidential circular to Demo.
cratic congressman explaining low old
and faithful officials in the postal
service could be got rid of without appar-
entity tearing the rules to tatters and tramp
ling them in the mire. Others high in position
have done as badly, and newly-appointed
postmasters throughout the country have
incontinently discharged clerks to make room
for Democrats, and women to make places for
ward bummers and party slaves. 1t is the
idea of appealing to the President to stop
this thing that Republicans sneer at as
impracticable and foolish. AS has already
been demonstrated, the only hope the gentle
men have who have justly found fault with
the conduct of the indianapolis postmaster,
is that the President, realizing that the Hen
bricks faction is implacable, will declare war
and appeal to the people for support. If he
is the man that the mugwumps have thought
him to be, he will do this. If, on the contra
ry, he is not as strong as they imagined, he
will not and the investi cation will be a farce.
In either event it is evident that the civil
service reform would have been better hon
ored by Republican administration.