The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-04-03
WMNFIELD La, FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 1885,
THE SOUTH AND CIVIL SERVICE
REFORM.

THE SOUTH AND CIVIL SERVICE
REFORM.
Until recently it was favor1te
prediction of the Republican party
leaders that i'm case President
Cleveland should attempt to carry
out his announced purpose of sup
porting the principles of Civil Ser
vice reform in connection with re-
moyals and appointments, he would
find the Solid South like a nest of
hungry hornets around his ears,
and eager for his blood. Perhaps
Mr.. Cleveland understood the
South better than the most Of these
prophs1s; but however that may
have been, he seems to have acted
pretty closely yuptO the programme,
and it does not yet appear that in
SO doing ne has incurred any alar-
ming amount of obloquy at the
hands of his Southern fellow-citi-
zens. The truth, which has been
recognized on the neither side of
the Ohio, is, Is publicly stated by
prominent Southerners in and out
of Washington, that the South is
much more concerned about inter-
nal Improvements, legislation like
ly to affect its infant industries,
and the establishment and growth
of a larger commerce with Latin
America, than with the quadrenni-
al scramble for crossroads post
Offices, and starvation clerkships
in the "circumlOcution Office
All this is an unpleasant and a
paralyzing revolution to our Re
publican friends, because their
brightest hope has been that, in
the event of political success, the
Southern Democracy would make
such an exhibition of spoils-to-the
victor rapacity that the country
and civilization would become dis
gusted. That fond delusion is dis
pelled while yet the first Demo
cratic administration for a quarter
of a century is in the first weeks of
its power. TheH are those, of
course, who chafe at the lack of
patronage to hand around to their
constituents, but their trouble is
professional rather than otherwise,
and the people do not grieve over
the matter. The President has the
hearty backing of the best elements
in the South in his conservative and
deliberate treatment of the Federal
patronage. What is called scivil
service reform" is no longer a
mere theory. Its principles have
a place in the statute books of the
nation, and on that account, though
more because they represent a
stern demand of the honest senti-
ment of the country, must be re-
spected. Because this is true it
does not follow that all the venal
and obnoxious placemen who have
made Republican machine politics
synonomous with a system of adj
ministration st once corrupt and
subservive Of the peoples politi-
cal liberty are to be retained in
Office. The decapitation Of that
class will b none the less certain
because tie AZ does not fall at once.
President Cleveland and his advi-
sers appsseistc the wisdom Of de-
liberation ard Of investigation. If
one-half Of ths reports in cirsula-
tion for years It the North conccr-
Mug al tho departments of the
government are true, every one Of
them i need Of 'civil service re-
form" OF thc m0st sweeping and
drastic ch6racter; yet in each there
may - found tried and faithful
public servants whose services
recommend them for retention or
promotion. In cases of that kind
the privste political faith of the
lncumbeut might well be left out
Of the consideration.
It = seldom that = young and
new leader a Z great party could
hope to carry his millions Of adhe-
rents with him in . direction con-
trary 70 the traditions of all politi-
cal organisations in the modern
history Of the ration; but Grover
Cleveland hrs already dcmon:t..-
u u IL =