Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-06-04
Gains and Losses.

paign. One body of voters urged that
financial questions ought to have pre-
cedence; that the tariff and the state of
the finances affected the welfare of all
classes; and that the condition of in
dustry and trade proved the need of a
decision so emphatic as to be final in
favor of the Republican party. Had
this class of questions governed the
votes of the people, there can be no
doubt the Republican party would have
prevailed. But another body of voters
insisted that what they called admins
trative reform was the crying need OF
the time. Some were gross and reckless
in charges, and declared that the public
service Yves full of rottenness, and that
the "rascals" must be turned out. Others
conceived that the one thing needful was
Civil Service reform. Giving them credit
for full sincerity in all their professions,
they were convinced that no other mat
ter was so important as to purify and
elevate the service by better selection
of officers, and that Mr.. Cleveland was a
Heaven-sent agent to accomplish this
great work and to free the public SER
vice from partisanship. These prevailed.
According to their view, whatever has
occurred otherwise is of small account
if Civil Service reform moves forward,
if partisanship is getting cleaned out of
the service, and if the rascals are being
turned out
A quarter of Mr.. Clevelands first year,
three of the forty-eight months he has
to serve, have passed. Has he found
amazing rottenness in the public service !?
If so, why does he keep it so profoundly
secret? In the phrase of Mr.. Hendricks
the roof has been off three months, and
the light has been pouring in, and eager
eyes have been peering into all those
books he was so anxious to have opened.
But not trace of fraud or abuse has
been detected, 50 far as the public is per-
mitted to know. In half dozen cases,
insignificant persons have been discharg-
ed for individual faults. About as many
were discharged every quarter, for like
offenses, by Republican Presidents. But
the books are found to contain no record
of crimiEa ality. The cash in the Treasury
has been counted, and not even the two
70 oh lnd 20
proved to be missing. The officials, it is
now confessed, are found to be indis>
pensable because of their ability and
fidelity, and cannot be spared. So far,
the proof is that it was a false charge
that reform was needed. Men who acted
on that idea, if they are honest and can
did, must own that they were deluded.
But what are they getting? Is bet>
ter state of the public service resulting?
Changes have been made in considerable
number. Is there single one which
merits decided praise as change for the
better? 1t is not reform, if Mr.. Cleve+
land turns out good men and appoints
others equally good. But has he done
even that? No one seriously considers
that the service has been improved thus
far. On the contrary, all the Presidents
friends apologize for what he has done,
but say that he has erred through mex
perience and lack of knowledge of men.
Yet some men have been appointed who
are a disgrace to the service. Then, as
to partisanship, will the blindest and
most bigoted devotee of theory seriously
claim that any step has been taken to-
ward ridding the service of this evil?
AS rule, are not the men put in more
bitter and intense partiSans as Demo-
Gcrats than the Republicans put out?
1t is not needful to dwell Oh the selection
of former rebels or malignant "copper"
heads. The broad fact is that nearly
every new official has been chosen be-
cause of his extreme partisanship. The
men have been selected, as a rule, be-,
cause of their faculty of using the ser
vice for party ends, as Manning does and
Higgins does. Is this reform? 1t must
be confessed by candid men that so far
there is no indication or promise what
ever of any gain in the direction expect
ed. There was no need of reform at the
outset. The only result obtained so
far is that Mr.. Cleveland is undoing the
work refermers had previously DONE
But what have we lost meanwhile?
Seven months of the greatest disaster and
prostration OF industry ever known have
followed the election. Uncertainty con-
tinues 1t is not in the power of the
President to end it. He cannot control
his party as to the tariff or the currency.
He cannot now make it clear what sort
of bill he would veto, or what influence
he has to prevent the passage of bills.
Doubt. distrust, shrinkrge of business.
accumulation of idle money in greater
amount ttan ever, and growing distress
and discomfort of labor, are inevitable
consequences. The direct loss to capital
by reason of idleness, and to labor by
reduction of wages, has been enormous.
All this might have been prevented by
a Republican victory. Our adversaries
sought an end not worth getting. They
did not get it, But they did throw away
an opportunity of vast yalue.-N. Y.
Tribune.