The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-04-29

conspicuous political achievement was
the attempt in Maine, in 1879, to grab
the government after the precedent in
the Hayes case, while Mr.. Troup is a
strong partisan and an undisguised OPP
ponent of civil service reform. 1t will
not be possible to bring against Mr..
Cleveland the charge of mugwumpism
in either case"
PHILADELPHIA North AMERICAN:
Some serious considerations as to the
condition of the rising generation are
suggested by the statement that out of
thirty-nine candidates for two vacant
cadetships at West Point and Annapolis,
only nine passed the medical examina-
ton. Surely there must be something
wrong in the habits of our youth if
that proportion represents anything
like fairly the physical status of the
American boy. Or is it that the gov
eminent examination is so searching
and the standard of admission so high
as to exclude many who for all practical
purposes are sound and healthy ?''
ST. LOUIS REPUBLICANS: cone of
the most unpleasant things about the
presidents civil service reform policy
is that he will take to himself the
credit of giving the country capable
and honest management of its business,
when in fact the work is nearly all be-
ing done by republican office-holders.
The republicans are too patriotic, of
course, to abandon the government in
a pet, and compel Mr.. Cleveland to rely
upon his own party for men to fill their
places; but at the same time it is pro-
voking to think that democratic
president is likely to gain applause by
reason of their fidelity and efficiency"
New YORK SUN: In some respects
this is the most interesting appointment
which the president has yet made.
Does it mark the turning-point in Mr..
! Cleveland's course toward the mug
wumps? Is he at the end of his con-
cessions to their peculiar and frequently
repeated demands ? Has he thrown this
bombshell into the very citadel of mug
wumpery as a notification to the re-
formers of the civil service that he is
rather tired of them and of their sleep
less supervision ? Does he mean to in
innate that hereafter long and faithful
partisan service to the democratic party
organization is to constitute good
claim to recognition in apportioning
the spoils? That, at any rate, seems
to be the view which the leading mug
wump organs of New England take of
the Pillsburv appointment
WORCESTER Spy: "The president
has not much acquaintance with Massa-
chusetts democrats, and to fill offices in
Massachusetts, he takes such material
as the democrats of the state offer to
him. The democratic papers and poll
ticians are delighted. The stanchness
of Pillsbury's democracy is the subject
of their enthusiastic admiration. He
was a copperhead, of course, during the
war-not of the lofty, superior and con-
temptuous sort, like Mr.. Phelps of Yer
mont, but actively malignant, so that
his life was scarcely safe among the ia
dignant patriots of Maine. He was one
of the foremost actors in that amazingly
impudent fraud by which the demo-
Gratis and greenbackers, defeated in the
election, sought to steal the state gov
eminent in 1880. After this exploit his
political prospects in Maine were OBJ
scured, and he came to Massachusetts,
where he has figured as an ardent fol
lower of Butler and one of the most
offensive of partisan politicians"
Boston ADVERTISER: " Pillsbury's
record of consistent antagonism to the
efforts to suppress the rebellion, and
the notorious participation of both in
the scheme by which it was attempted
to steal an election, are not the whole
of their disqualification for service un.
der an administration which processes
motive of progress and reform
Neither of them, in his political career
has been so much as named in connec.
ton with any action which looked tC
better and more honest methods in
politics. They are devotees of the old
spoils system, and are held in such dis
esteem that neither of them in the
state where both are best known could
command the full vote of his party fol
any office. They have been useful in
such ways that it would be extremely
unwise to expose either of them to the
fierce light of popular election. Theil
selection for honor by the democratic
administration is blunder of large
proportions, significant of an essential
weakness"
THE Ne1o York World says: Gen
eral George p. hire has in his posses
sion personal letter from General L
S. Grant, written April 2S, 1862, three
weeks after the battle of Shiloh. In
this letter General Grant says: There