The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-23
THE CIvIL-sERvICE LAW.
Increasing Opposition to 1t Manifested-The
Struggle Ahead.

joaquin Miiler's Washington Letter.
Leave off the first syllable of the word and
you have the real spirit displayed in the per-
slstent discussion of the civil-servce law here
in Washington City. Never law more I'M
popular, more tyrannical. and-if we are to be-
lieve the politicians in the recent attempt to
overthrow the law in New York city-more I'M
constitutional.
don't know which political party curses the
law most bitterly, but think it is the Demo
Gratis. But you can safely say that not one poll
tician in ten thousand. of whatever party, favors
the civil service as it is now administered
Standing in front of Wizards. you see
crowds of dreary, dismal men. YEARLY and per-
sistently cursing the law which has made the
profession of politics no longer a source of profit
All day and all the late hours of right, this
dreary and weary and dismal band of tobacco
eaters blocks the doors of this popular old hotel
and frescoes the sidewalk with amber.
This hard-looking and curious crowd ought to
be preserved in alcoholic it is not already--for
future ages to look upon. These men the
last of the old guard. They will die, but they
will never surrender-these red-nosed, foul
mouthed. blear eyed professional politicians.
1t is hard TO accuse the American press OF
cowardice. But it is duty. There good
many newspapers all over the land that take
sides with this crowd of tobaccoeaters which is
to day holding its patient and persistent session
in front of Wizards to the terror of all passing
laoies And these newspapers do this because
they have not the courage to put down the poll
tlcan by lifting the. civil service up and into an
atmosphere of comparative purity, where he
could not survive
have heard it the streets many times
here, within the past few days, that the civil
service law is in peril. l hear il positively
serted that the small politicians at home, who
stand behind the larger politicians in Congress
and elsewhere, are going to compel their repre-
sentatives to undertake tine repeal of this law.
L read in many papers most persistent and bitter
attacks on this law-cowardly, treacherous. and
untrue
For example, you can read any day that the
President, the Cabinet officers the senators and
all eminent men at Washington are dissatisfied
with the civil-service system, and are ready to
see it perish. These papers speak without
authority
The writer of these sketches stands as near to
the head men of this government as any other
one scribe, perhaps and take every occasion to
say that the civil-service system is not only APP
proved of by the President but is cherished and
held in .he greatest respect by all his Cabinet
Not only that, but every senator, every men,
Der of Congress. indeed, of any stability or
standing, is entirely devoted to its principles
and its enforcement. And l assert that it is not
only selfish, unpatriotic. unworthy fight it,
but it is useless. Still know that the fight is
going TO be made. 1t is pretty clear that great
deal of the next session of Congress will be given
over to terrible assaults the civil-servica law,
under the lead OF that desperate band of tobacco
eaters that stands forever engaged in the fresco
business in front of Wizards.