St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-20
Guilty but Wouldn't Do So Again.

To the Editor Of the Globe:
Mr.. Blaine, in his letter accepting the Repub-
lican nomination. avowed his approval Of the
measure of reform accomplished by the civil
service act, and advocated the extension of the
reform to the consular and diplomatic service
Minneapolis Tribune.
What Mr.. Blaine said In his letter of ac-
ceptance, or would have announced in his
inaugural as his policy upon the much
mooted subject of civil service reform, In
case he had been in position to deliver one,
are at this time matters of little practical
consequence.
So far as talk and promises would go, It is
quite probable both that and all the kindred
topics would have been very fairly pre-
scented.
It is not In the nature of things likely
that any president would open his
administration with an announced
determination to adhere to line of policy al
ready stamped with unmistakable marks of
public disapproval
But people In this country have learned
about what Mr.. Blaine's promises are worth,
and one of the consequences OF it Is that that
Somewhat noted politician is a defeated as
pirant for the presidential Office, destined
never to reach the goal of his ambition.
wide awake upon the matter since, so far as
it is possible to understand their views by
their expressions, civil service reform con-
and keeping the Democrats out and, accept
ing this as the Republican idea, it is natural
to expect the president to receive rather a
better s'backing'' from them than from the
Democrats.
11u frTn RI 4bo
president are much more DESTROYS for sue
than redistribution of public patronage,
few of them expect to see him follow the
policy of rewarding his enemies and punish
ing his friends.
No one wishes to see the public service
suffer by the causeless removal of faith
full officer nor forgets that the ma
jority of Republican office holders
zealously opposed the election of the presi-
dent they now hope will continue them in
Office, and will, II faithful to their political
convictions. do the same thing again at the
next election.
If the Republican press and the Republi-
can politicians had urged the matter Of civil
service and consular reform upon the past
administrations of its party with as much
persistence as they are now doing upon that Of
Mr.. Cleveland, these reforms might now have
been so far advanced that there would have
been no occasion for one of its party organs
to say as the Minneapolis Tribune says edi-
torially in its last Fridays issue in rela ton
to our foreign service:
Its general rottenness and ineficieucy are be-
coming apparent. 1t has been on thoroughly
bad basis. With exceptions too few to mention,
its places have been distributed as patronage.
One has only TO read the lists Of foreign appoint
ecs for the past few years to see how nepotism,
favoritism and the principle OF rewards for party
services have prevailed. Prominent public men
have put their neer-do-well sons into legation
sccretarysh and fat consulates. Ex-senatorial
and congressional dead beats have thronged all
but the frst-class ambassadorships. Sad-eyed
poets and long haired romancers who wish TO
JOY the advantages Of a sojourn abroad have sue.
ceeded in crowding efficient business officers out
OF important consular positions. Fitness fo- the
position mas played no conspicuous part in our
foreign appointments. The consular service has
been used, not to further aud facilitate our for
eign commerce, but to provide berths for defeated
congressional candidates, impecunious relatives,
wealthy contributors to the campaign funds and
poets.
San open confession may be good for the
soul,' but it is sometimes very damaging TO
the reputation. If our foreign service is in as
OtplOraDlS cOuUlLlOu Us Tie hcpuUucau VIII
ness testifes, his party has placed it there.
The "sad-eyed poets, long-haired romancers
and congressional ! dead-beats were all ap-
pointed to their respective offices by Repub-
lcan authorities All these things have grown
up under Republican rule ana all the while
party platforms, party candidates and party
papers, like the Tribune, have been
promising as they promise now
to redress evils and reform abuses.
There have been twenty-four years Of
promises and twenty-four years of failure,
eliminating in the state of affairs described
by the Tribune as used, not to further and
facilitate our foreign commerce, but to pro-
vide berths for defeated congressional can
ddates, impecunious relatives, wealthy con-
tributors to campaign funds, and poets"
On its own showing would it have been wise
to give it another triall Judging the future
by the past, and how else should we judge it,
would the foreign or home service have been
improved, or would the same state Of affairs
have continued, with congressional dead
beats and sad-eyed poets in consulates and
legationsl *x#
Fillmore County, March II.