National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-09-16

Il Is claimed that the Democratic stall
warts have declared war on thc administra-
tion because Of its fidelity to the pledge by
which It secured the Mugwump vote, and to
which II therefore owes its existence; for IL
Is patent fact that, despite the electoral
votes gained by suppression of the ma
jority in sundry southern statcs the Demo.
cratic candidates would have been defeated
in the last Presidential election if the New
iorl; Mugwumps had not been induced by
reform pledges to cast thelr ballots for
Democratic electors.
Let us glance for moment at this al
legged fidelity 10 that solemn promise to
hold public Office as public trust, to run
the government ON business principles, and
to retain faithful public servants in their
places, except as to those important posi-
tions intimately connected with the policy
of the administration. We do not propose
to pass In review the wholesale changes in
the personnel of several important branches
Of the service all over the country, hut will
coniirc this inspection to n single days re-
rurt from a single state.
An election is pending in Pennsylvania,
and the Democratic bosses OF that state
have called on the administration to
strengthen their hands by turning ont Re.
publicans and putting in Democrats. That
the administration has responded to this
call with cheerful alscrity is proYcn by
such evidence Gs this from the Democratic
Philadelphia Times of yesterday:
The fact that fny.nine 1acth.alts, post.
,t.1,
vnnia alone is quite enough to demonstrate
that Assistant Postmaster General Stevansln's
health Is still established on firm basis, in
spite of the fact that he has taken no vacation
this summer. AS great many orthcsc are in
minority counties, whore there are no Dlm).
cratic representatives, II IS evident that sJne
energetic person in the state has made up his
mind that these localities shall not suffer for
the want Of n little timely attention. In fnc.
1t is not impossible Judging from the list OF
names, that the districts with Republican con.
grcssmen are getting more postmas ers than
those which have Democratic members.
II that does not show that the spoils sys-
TEN is "on deck" what docs II mean? II it
does not demonstrate that the pledge given
to the Mugwumps, in exchange for the
votes which elected the Democratic cauli-
dates. has been ruthlessly trodden into the
dirt, II is void Of meaning.
Having given so much Of evidence from
the leading Democratic newspaper of
Pennsylvania, we will now offer clipping
from the most influential Republican
journal in that state. The Philadelphia
Press of yesterday says:
In the Philadelphia imint the most reliable
and sEilifnl employees have been discharged
10y the reform administration like men guilty
OF then or neglect of duty Old and faithful
employees who have attended to their duties
and worked hard for ten. twenty, and even
thirty years have been discharged ut a mo-.
ment's notice, because they were Republicans
In all nearly 100 persons have thus been
turned out, Und their places filed with Demo
ciGts, many Of them totally unfit for the work
they were required to perform. The conduct
oftEc superintendent of the mint has been
against the public interests, devoid of bust
ness principles, aud that the administration
should have permitted 1t shows that the pre-
tensions of the President to the effect that the
government was to be rim on business princl.
! pies are as false as the Democratic cry of re.
| form.
What is going on in Pennsylvania Is go
ing on elsewhere, especially in those states
which hold elections this year. The notion
that Democratic spoilsmcn have any real
grievance is a ludlcrous absurdity. There
is not in the entire rang of comic opera a
more ridiculous burlesquc than the sire.
iolm" policy of the administration.