, 1885-03-11
RETRENcHMENr ANp RRFoRM.

The Democratic party may profit by its
present opportunity and enter IN a long
career Of usefulness and honor, il it will
support President Cleveland in his
ayowed intention Of restoring economy in
public expenditures, reverting to a strict
construction of our organic law, adhering
to the national policy Of non-intrusion in
the affairs Of the old world, and heedfully
conserving the interests Of American
labor and capital in any readiustment Of
our fiscal system. On these four weigh.y
topics the incoming administration ha=
firmly and distinctly announced its con-
y%ictions and its purposes. Thorough
going and far-sighted Democrats can have
only praise for such a programme, and
they will be grateful to the men who I'M
s%wervingly enforce it. A clearer under
standing Of constitutional Democracy
could not have been given than by these
four essential points mentioned in Presi-
dent Cleveland's inaugural. 1t would
have been easy to write a more rhetorically
brilliant address, but the closer its
language and its spirit are studied, the
more admirable il will appear. 1t
is clear that the new president is a Demo-
crat from knowledge and conviction, not
from chance, and that he viii uphold the
doctrines of Democracy, not merely to
serve n party organization, but because he
believes them to be the best for the u
try.
Most important is the presidents reso-
Lutte stand with reference to the reckless
habits OF p%rofuse expenditures which have
for many years prevailed in the federal
administration. The supreme need of
trcnchant reform in this particular, Of
cleansing, contracting and recognizing
the whole machinery of the public service,
was the resembling keynote Of the canvas,
and is fully recognized by Mr.. Cleveland.
Nothing could be more unhinching and
u~nequivocal than the utterance of the in
augural with relation to the fundamental
feature of all genuine reform. 1t will be
well for every citizen TO remember the
words by which Mr.. Cleveland binds him
self to bring about a prompt and sweep
ing curtailment of the public pay roll in
all the government departments, wherever
three or more officials have been paid to
do the work of one honest, dilligcnt and
capable public servant
1t is the general conviction that il the
merciless purgation Of the office holding
body and its vigorous reduction to the
scale of positive requirements, could c
be carried out, all minor questions touch
ing the reform of the civil service would
practically solve themselves. The swarm
of oficeholders organized by the wasteful
spirit of former administrations, can be
cut down to less than one-third of its
huge volume, not only without harm, but
with decided advantage to the smooth
and efficient working Of the Federal ma
chinery, thus going far toward removing
all the clamor, more or less Fictitious, for
persistent tenure Of office-an innovation
tending to beget an oficeholding caste,
repngnant to all the teachings Of true
Democracy.
We believe Mr.. Cleveland foresees that
the best way to check the ~squabbling
about offices is to leave as few Offices as
possible to scramble for; and he will
greatly promote that highly desirable re-
suit if he adheres firmly to the purpose Of
Qualification and retrenchment in every
branch and corner Of the Federal adj
ministration. He need not fear reproach
from any quarter if for every upright
Democrat assigned to public service, the
official axe falls thrice upon the necks Of
lazy and superiuous Republican stipendi-
.--oc