New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-05
.JCNEN'.S ETLI.C.

Another rclormcr has struck ore. One of
your earnest and sincere reiOrmcrs who actually
believes in it. Occasionally one of this sort APP
prars i'm public life. When he does he makes Il
sensation. Not precisely that experienced by
the astronomer "whcn a new planet swlnis
within his KEN; rather that of a croclcry
dealer when a Texas steer leans over 4thc
counter and looks the salesman in the eye.
When the late Mr.. Emcrson-or the late Nj.
Carlylc-wc forget which, and it isn't material
made the remark: Beware, when the
Almighty lets loose thinker on the planet ::
then all things are at risk" it was universally
conceded that hc had said a rather good thing.
Still, the philosophy of ii was so subtle that
very few people took it to heart, and did
actually beware. That is to say, while they
might in q vague way beware In the abstract
they did not get up suddenly and prccipitately
and beware in the case of the thinker, as, say.
for instance. the crockcry dealer does in the
case of the bull There's great difference in
bewaring. When there's thinker loose, men
beware in sort of lStlcss indifferent way; but
when somebody says Beware. when the Dem
ocratic party lets loose IA reformcr on the
country: then all things are ut risk' they know
it means business, and begin to sell ont and
move away.
We haven't had Il real rcformcr loose since
the Congress in which John VI. Glover, of
Missouri figured as head investigator-anG we
are glad, by the way, to know that he Is elected
to the next Congress; there must De a whole
lot of fun lett in him yet. Glover was one OF
the earnest and sincere fellows who believed
everything was rotten during Republican adj
ministration, and pitched in accordingly with
all his heart to uncover and disinfect il. II
happened, unfortunately for his party nssO-
ciatcs, that whenever he uncovered anything
particularly high in the way of rottcnncss ne
found upon turning it over Democratic label
on it. The Democrats in that Congress might
have had a iirstTate time had it not been Tor
Glover. Their experience with him has taught
them how II uch there is at risk when there's
Democratic refOrmer loose. No general alarm
need be sounded for it. They are ready to get
up and beware mt the first signal.
The rclOrmer now loose seems to be jerks -
Assistant Secretary jerks. of the Interior
Department. jerks is in charge of the Rail-
road Bureau of the department, and evidently
means business. He was, if we rightly rcmem-
Der, member of Congress from Pennsylvania
for one term, and his qualifications for this par
ticuldr place were probably acquired by riding
to Washington on free pass. He has made up
his mind that the railroads of the country need
reforming; particularly the subsidized roads
over which he has jurisdiction. He doesn't
know precisely what the abuses are, but is quite
certain that they exist, as he has heard it fire.
auently asserted by Democratic orators on the
stump He has evidently been bordering over
this subject for several months. Believing
rs Glover did, that there must be rascaltics OF
some sort in everything that has been done
since that gloomy day when Mr.. Buchanan
stepprd out of the White House, he has been
dcvOtlng himself to fcucting out the special
denominations in the management of the sub
sidizcd railroads. lie is thoroughly convinced
that all forms of deyltry ramify and fructify
throughout tue system, only he has not been
able to find any of them. Some reformcrs
would be discouraged at not being able to find
ANYTHING to reform. Not SO jerks. If Mr.
Charles Francis Adams, jr and other corrupt
persons have succeeded in covering up their
past iniquitics so perfectly as to defy the pene-
tratiOn Of jerks, it at least shall not be said
that they are permitted to pursue their career
of crime unhindered.
Hereafter jerks will know what is going on.
To effect this he has promulgated though the
Office of the Commissioner of Railroads a series
of rules Under these, the thirty five railroad
companies subject to his jurisdiction are re-
quired to report TO jerks, ten days before any
meeting of stockholders or directors, sprciii-
caly and definitely every matter to be brought
before such meeting. Three days similar
notice is required TO be given of all business to
be brought before executive committee meet
ings Hereafter, instead of the secrecy under
cover of which SO much inquity has been
practsed, we shall have what Mr.. Manton
Marble eoquently describes as the broad sun
light of publicity Nervous persons who have
heretofore lain awake nights grating their teeth