The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1885-12-03
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
REPLY TO THOSE WHO OPPOSE
THE COMING REFORM.
Mr.. Walter II. Page, Under His Own Sig
nature. Gives the Anti.Civil Service
RefOrmers Some Heavy Licks.

nature. Gives the Anti.Civil Service
Reformer, Some Heavy Licks.
To THE CHRoNICLE:-Th thing is reach
ing a most interesting point-the discus
sion Of civil service reform in North Car
olina, | mean. Ny recent letter TO you,
which was nothing more than PLAIN
statement Of what the reform Is and aims
at, seems to have caused good deal OF
fun Somebody has been kind enough to
send me several bundles of North Carolina
papers which contain comments on my let
tcr-and me. | find no evidence in any
Of them that their editors ever read the
civil service law or the Commissioners
reports. But | have been amused as
we'll as amazed at the singular dlscov-
cries that have made about the ignorance
of the law.
This is instructive as well as amazing
| instructive for this reason: All these fine
discharges of slabbering gabble come from
| Democratic editors in North Carolina, and
| seem to have provoked it for no other
| offense than for standing up as bold as
can in my little way for the first Demo
cratic President that has been in the White
/ House for % years and the greatest one
that has been there since Jefferson II
/ civil service reform-preclselv as MI
! Cleveland is carrying it OUTS not the
thing and the only thing that caused Mr..
! Cleveland's election, then everybody has
| been mistaken. If this IS not the thing
that the National Democratic platforms
! have been calling for when they demand
ed ''honest civil service REFORM what
were they calling for !? If it is not TO be
the revolutionary and saving distinction
and chief glory of the rejuvenated Demo
cratic party to correct the evils that grew
up under the spoils- administrations OF
! the Republicans, what is to be the work OF
the Democratic party, or upon what
grounds does it hope or will it have right
to live? President Cleveland has already
done more to purify political morals and
/ digbify political methods than any other
| one man in the lifetime of any man now
living. He is by all odds the most evenly
! balanced public man, the man Of broadest
grip and most heroic frmness that there
is now in American politics. Not only is
this so but the foremost Democrats i'll the
| land stand Just where he stands on this
comprehensive question. Secretary Lamar,
the most eloquent as well as perhaps the
! broadest living Southern man in public
! life, a Democrat whose Democracy is as
| his religion, stands six feet tall, every inch
a man, by Mr.. Cleveland, in his ideas of
reform. Secretary Garland, the most dis
tinguished lawyer living in any Southern
State, whose Democracy is Democratic If
anybody's is, is as firm as Secretary Lamar
| Mr. Btyard is of the same opinion. They
| all favored the civil service reform bill
when it was passed. they are all carrying
it out now in Mr. CIeyelund's own way.
Mr. Trenholm, of South Carolina, Dem
ocra', nothing but Democrat, has been
appointed one of the civil service commits
sioners because of his firm belief in the
movement. Ny own little opinion coin
cides precisely with the opinion of these
| of DpmDcr1tIr l.
pcrs in North Carolina, from the Whining
ton Star to the Scotland Neck Democrat
do not agree with them and me-ln short,
do not approve Of Mr.. Cleyeland's appoint
ment Of any man who happens not to be a
| Democratic worker
The serious part of this question comes
in right here If civil service reformer
"a full-pledged one-eXcites criticism and
the reform is opposed by the Democrats of
| North Carolina, this must mhan that the
Democrats of North Carolina do not agree
with such Democrats as Cleveland, La
mar, Garland, Bayard, Trenholm and the
like. The Republican party was defeated
last year because it was spolls party; and
all the old Republican bosses are dead
agin" the reform.
The fact cannot be denied that the ablest
and greatest Democrats alike in the North
and in the South are civil service reform
Democrats; and that the party is Obliged
10 follow its greatest and noblest men OF
it will never win another victory. Now II
the party follows these men, what are the
anti-reform Democrats Of North Carolina
going to do about it Will they choose to
follow at great distance ard grumble
and keep the State still longer behind in
stead of in front of the other States that
are leading in political thought and ac-
ton?
That is the question that these gentle
men would do well to answer, instead OF
talking about-abOut me for instance
Though | have not the slightest objection
to all their talk.
submit this picture for your amuse
ment In the White House at Washington
. is All honest, plain, strong man, man OF
wonderfully broad information and OF
most uncommon industry. He has always
been a Democrat He is distinguished
lawyer and Il scholar on all public ques
tions. He knows what the principles OF
the Democratic party are,vand he know
what the needs Of the republic are. He i:
as frank and patriotic and sincere as any
man that ever won the high place he holds
Within less than year he has done Sc
; we'll and so wisely that he has disappoint
ed his enemies and won their admin alton
He is as unselfish as he is great. He is ont
of the most Industrious men in the world
He rises early and works late and doe
not waste his time-all because his time il
+; now not his but the Republics, whose mos
honOred servant he is. He has the publ,
welfare SO much at heart, and he is 81
broad a man, and he has seen the evils o
; making party service Il test of fitness 70
4 holding Office, that in all subordinate
; places III the Government (even the Post
$ masters place of New York City, h
u wishes to appoint men who are the fittes
q men he can tind without regard to party
e Such man is the noblest spectacle in poll
u tics. | count it among the most inspirin.
y experiences in my life that | had the priv
+ ilege, at the suggestion of one of his per
sonal friends, of talking with him on
I morning about the complete reuniting 0
e the two great sections of our Republic b
h his election. | told him and know tol,
II him the truth, when | said that ever
6 young man in the Southern States VIII
IS without an opportunity to share either tn
o glory or the defeat of the late Confederac
, had in spite Of himself suffered the disad
IS vantages of the poverty and Oppresso
/ that followed war, took new hope for tn
IS full and speedy realization Of a complct
IS Union, of unparalleled prosperity, and c
q broad thinking and noble living from hi
/ elevation to the Presidency. | told hiI
that the men of North Carolina were nc
II only patriotic but ambitious as we'll: an