The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-06-03
A Disquieted Democracy.


When the presidents removal of
capable officials, whose inoffensive nom
partisanship is beyond question, is criti
cised by republicans, they are given to
understand Gin language that is plain "
that this is democratic administration;
that democrats walked the plank in
1861, and republicans shall now have
taste of that experience. Republicans,
office-holding and Notwithstanding,
view the situation with equanimity.
They can stand a "grand sweep" if
the democracy can. When states that
are " suffering" more than Vermont
have been appeased, the business of
working off - federal officers will be
commenced here, the oracles unceas-
ingly assure the impatient. But repub-
lican officials in Vermont do not make
haste to strew the thorny pathway of
the democracy with the flowers of res
ignation. They will be removed, if
displaced at all, and the burden of JUS
tifying the removal of faithful and
competent public servants and of estab-
fishing democratic successors in their
places will be placed upon the back of
the administration If there is any
"cry-baby" about this matter of the
offices, it is not republicans who are
making infantile appeals or shedding
brine. The whimpering seems to be all
on the other side, because republicans
do not assist in alternating democratic
hunger and thirst and relieving demo-
cratic embarrassment by voluntarily
vacating the offices. If " sweep" is
made, as the country is periodically as
sured there will be, justification must
rest on a broader and more substantial
basis than republican precedent in 1861.
AT that time disloyalty or open rebel
lion existed all over the land. The dis
loyal and the rebellious were all in the
ranks of the defeated democratic party.
They had stolen or destroyed every
thing they could lay their hands upon,
and debauched every department of the
public service. When the republican
party assumed power the Nation was
struggling for dear life. There was
every reason and abundant justification
for sweeping change in every depart
ment, even if some honest and loyal
men should be included in the general
uprooting. Lincoln had to turn the
rascals, disloyal men and traitors, out.
The life of the Nation depended upon
getting its affairs speedily into loyal
hands. More than this-there has been
a revolution in the civil service since
1861. Both parties have put themselves
under bonds to the people to abandon
the old barbarous practice respecting
certain public offices. They have sew
orally promised to throw away the
scalping-knife and give up aboriginal
methods of warfare. Principles which
govern in business affairs, and methods
devised by intelligence, have been
framed into laws for the regulation of
the civil service. These laws have the
approval and advocacy of republicans
and democrats. President Cleveland
has been so profuse in his professions
of devotion to the principles and meth
DDS of civil service reform that its apos-
ties have made him their standard
bearer. He has gone further than party
pledges or congressional enactments re-
quired him to go. He has voluntarily
declared that faithful and competent
officials beyond the pale of the letter OF
the civil service law shall be protected
by its spirit. So that, even if republi-
can action in 1861 were without the