The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-10-08
IMPUDENT PARTISANS.
Civil-Service Reform and the Gratuitous
Advice Given by Republicans.


Advice Given by Republicans.
There are many Democrats who do
not believe in the Civil-Service law. and
it is the fashion with certain mugwump
newspapers to call them greedy and to
denounce them as unpatriotic. There
are just as many Republicans who do
not believe in the Ciyil-Service law.
The Republican orators who profess to
be It's most efficient friends have no re-
spect for it. Very few politicians who
have been tied to active party service
have any faith IN it. 1t requires the
breadth of view and the wisdom, IN
trammeled by the traditions of active
and offensive partisanship- President
Cleveland to breed and sustain a belief
in the new system of appointments.
Everything will come around right in
time. Tne good system viii take the
place of the bad, and the Democrats will
! be found to have contributed most to
the result
The Post does not think that the
hir NO of clerks is the most important
problem before the Presiden 1t agrees
that the President is doing as he ought
to 90, but it thinks that too much noise
is made about this selection of tools
The Post would like to see little at
tentiOn paid to the real work of Gov
ernment, and it des res civil service that
shall conduct this work on Democratic
principles. 1t believes that at present
the service is filled with Republican
{ a. a. -,
work against the Democratic party.
The most efficient service that they can
render to the Republicans will be by
using their Government places as him
ORANGES to the task of the Administra-
ton. Not only will reforms be checked
whenever they are entrusted to Repub-
/ lican agents, but many a Republican
otfice-holder will consider that he is do
ing patriotic duty by bringin Dem
ocratic Administration into disrepute
| by misfeasance in office. The trouble
with the average Republican mind is
that it is blind to all goodness among
Democrats. Tne average Republican
is simple minded person who has
/ learned of George F. Hoar that all Dem
ocrats are bad 1t is only the brighter
Republicans who live in cities who
know that George +. HOar is not to be
believed. If a Republican thinks Dem
/ ocratic defeat must be accomplished by
I foul means or fair, why should he not
neglect his duty, or commit official sins
for the purpose of discrediting his bad
opponent? The teachings of George
T. Hoar lead naturally and inevitably
to the commission of such otfenseS
against the country.
/ While the Post believes in reformed
. CiviI-Service (of which the country is
not yet possessed), it does not under
take to lecture Democrats who are not
vet convinced of the beauties of the
present system. There is a good reason
for this lack of faith on the part OF
Democrats. The system went into
operation under 4 Republican Admins
/ tration. The first rules, under the law,
were made by President who had all
his life been machine man" and the
/ tool of machine men," The tender
/ infant was sucked at a hostile breast.
and many of the Democrats who looked
on thought they saw its little veins fill
up with the poison of Republicanism.
They thought they were seeing the old,
old game, for they knew that the Re-
publican party had resorted to every
device to ill the Government with its
partisans. They knew that from the
Judges on the Supreme Bench to the
/ tide walters in the custom houses, all
who were SAID to work for the people
worked really for the Republican party.
They knew that the party which under
took to carry CiviI-Service reform into
effect was the only party which had
stolen the Presidencf through violated
oathS and b, staining the judicial err
mine Is there any wonder that Demo
Gratis do no. believe that ut present the
! Civil Service is based on the merit sys-
TEN. or that the law was honestly ad.
minis.ered by Mr.. Cleveland's prede-
ceSsor? Civil-Service reform is admir-.
able; but every ones reform is not tc
be taken unquestioningly. When Re.
publ cans denounce Democrats for moi
accepting this new thing as it stands to
day they are simply impudent. -BostOn
. Post