St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-26
TURN THE RAsCALs OUT.

HIGGINS says he is singed cat. Maybe
he is. But the weight of evidence is against
him. If the concurrent testimony Of the
best Democratic authority in the city of Bal
timore is entitled to hearing then it is very
plain that Mr. GENE HIGGINS is not the man
to hold Office under a president who Is
pledged to reform the present abuses of
the government service. The quicker
Mr.. Higgins is fired out the better it will be
for the Democratic party and for the country.
The GLOBE was disposed to give HIGGINS
chance to show up a good record before
passing condemnation upon him and to give
him the benefit of all doubt as long as doubt
existed. But, as it is now pretty clearly re-
vealed that he is not a proper person to hold
an Office of trust, we feel no hesitation as
Democratic journal in saying that it is the
duty of a Democratic administration to dis
place him and ill the position he occupies
with a creditable appointment.
The president is not to blame for the ap-
pointment of HIGGINS. His position does
not come under that class Of appointments
which the president is expected to look after
personally. The heads OF the departments
are authorized to select their own clerical
force, and consequently it is not presumable
that Mr.. CLEVELAND had any knowledge of
Secretary MANNISG's intentions in respect to
the appointments Immediately under his own
control. Nor can blame be attached to Sec
rotary MANNING, for in the confusion and
hurry burly attending the induction of new
regime into department, it would be mat
ter of surprise if mistake was not made
now and then. The trouble is, that in the
matter of HIGGINS appointment, the secre-
tary Of the treasury was imposed upon by
Senator GoRMAN, in whose integrity he re-
posed to- much confidence. Mr.. GoRMAN is
the man to blame for this whole racket and
the responsibility Will be fastened upon him.
The mistake that the president and secretary
of the treasury have made was in giving
Senator GoRMAN too much prominence and
influence in the matter of appointments.
The senior senator from Maryland is ma
chine politician of the very worst type, and
it is a travesty on reform to permit man of
his unsavory record to dictate appointments
for a reform administration. Senator Cor
MAN owes all of his political prominence to
the machine. He occupies the paradoxical
position of being the creature of the machine
in politics and at the same time, to certain
extent, its creator. At least it is so, so far
as the state of Maryland is concerned. Sen
ator GoRMAN probably presumes upon the
Importance he assumed in the last prcsiden-
tial canvass TO impose himself upon the
present administration. The very position
Mr.. GoRMAN occupied in the canvass ought
to preclude him from the presidents advi-
sorry board. the BLAINE canvass fell into
the hands of the most skllful machine men
in the Republican party. The Democrats
found it necessary to apply the old principle
of fighting the devil with fire, and in looking
around for man who could match ELKGNs
at his own game, Senator GoRMAN was
picked up, and the wisdom OF the selec-
ton for that purpose was justified by the re-
suits 1t will be remembered that in the
state Of New York where the reform feature
of the canvass was made most prominent
Senator GoRMAN was conspicuously absent
and took no hand in the contest in that
state.
The moral grandeur of the Democratic
victory was in the fact that it inauguratei an
era of fraternity and reform. The people
have set up a very high standard, and the
Democratic party must not disappoint their
expectations. Consequently nothing short
Of the bestwil be satisfactory. If the Demo-
cratic party is expected to reform the abuse Of
maladministration we have contended that it
must be free to select its own agents, yet the
agents selected must be pure and well quail
fed. Putting good and capable men into
office and wedding out the vicious is the best
reform any administration can give the
civil service. The day Of machine politics is
past. The people are tired of it and will
have no more. The machine politician must
retire from business and devote his talents
TO more useful pursuits. 1t is true that the
Office to which HIGGINs was appointed is an
uuimportant one, yet there is principle in
volyed in it, and as the issue has been
raised it must be met and settled. While
the president is not responsible for the APP
pointment Of HIGGINs he will be responsible
for his retention. The fact OF the uuworthi-
uts9 VI INC dppOtHLee udS Deeu maQe 50
public the president cannot avoid taking
notice of It, WHAT Secretary MANNING
should do to relieve the president of en-
barrassment is to cut off Mr.. HIG-
GINS official head tomorrow morning
before breakfast. II Mr.. MANNING doesn't
do that, thea the president should cut Mr..
MANSGNG's head Off The Democratic party
has new broom in its hand and must keep
a clean deck. The immediate removal of
HtGGiNs would be the best assurance the
country could have that the Democratic party
intends to keep its reform pie lges So again
we say, that under all the eircum stances.
even If IlrGGINs is a singed cat, he must be
fred out. The removal of man like He
GINS would he 8 better record for the Demo-
cratic party than the reelection to the senate
of dozen men like Mr. GoRMAN.
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As soon as they heard of the appointment
or ATKINS to the land Office the cattlemen in
Oklahoma commenced 10 Temove their barbed
ha, al