The Indianapolis journal., 1885-06-20

HARrER's WEEKLY takes the st. Louis Re
pubican to task for challenging the statement
of President White, of Cornell, to the effect
that 'it is an open secret that Mr.. Hendricks
is opposed to civil-service reform" The Re-
publican says that the Vice-president is in
favor of civil-service reform principles, so far
as the law goes but is opposed to the reten-
ton Of Rep ublican officials; whereupon
Harper's Weekly refers to the Brook
lyn speech, made just after the
election, in which Mr.. Hendricks practically
reiterated what he said in the Circle Park in
this city, and which certainly was not under
stood to he an enthusiastic Endorsement of
civil-service reform, as that phrase is general
ly understood. Harper's quotes from Mr..
Cleveland's letter to the New York Reform
League, in which the President said:
''There is a class Of government positions
which are not within the letter of the civil
service, but which are so disconnected with
the politics of an administration that removal
therefrom of present incumbents, in my
opinion, should not be made during the terms
for which they were appointed, solely on par
in their places sthose who are in political ac-
cord with the appointing power"
Commenting upon the difference supposed
to be existing between Mr.. Cleveland and Mr.
Hendricks upon the point developed by the
above extract, the Weekly says:
"The Republican, as party organ, will
thus see that if Mr.. Hendricks is opposed to
the retention Of Republicans in the offices
they now hold, Mr.. Cleveland, the official
head of the Democratic party, is not opposed
to it. Mr. Hendricks does not conceal
his hostility. In public places he has
been heard to denounce the law which
and to misstate its details showing
that he did not understand it, Mr.. Hem
bricks was nominated as the Vice president
often is, to propitiate the minority of the con-
vention. He represents the Democratic Bour
bons, and Mr. Cleveland the progressive Dem
ocrats. The two forces are contending in the
Democratic party, as they have been long con-
tending in the Republican party, and we are
very sure that Mr.. Hendricks would not
thank the ST. Louis Republican for suggesting
that he favors any other reform in the civil
service than turning out every Republican
because he is a Republican, and replacing
him with Democrat because he is Demo
crat"
Having no disposition to mix in family
quarrel-which this essentially is-we cannot
refrain from asking the able editor Of the
Weekly if he is absolutely certain that Mr.
Cleveland is in harmony with himself on this
propositions Or, if he is, is his administration
in harmony with its heads It has recently
been asserted, and not denied by
no less a parsonage than Mr. xu
gene Higgins, the right hand man Of
Mr.. Daniel Manning, who is Mr.. Clevelands
right hand man, that there have been already
nearly DO, 900 removals from office since Mr.
Cleveland's Inauguration; and it has been tel
egraphed from Washington, with much gusto
that to recent batch Of Treasury officials,
whose designations were requested, and who
asked Mr.. Higgins for the ''cause,"
he exclaimed, with some amazement:
"Cause! Why, you are Republicans
and that is cause enough. Your places are
wanted for Democrats. Democrats are going
to try and hold Office awhile" This utterance
is in harmony with the general sentiment sent
out from the capital pertaining to Mr. ''Gene"
Higgins The President knows he holds the
closest relations to the leading member of his
Cabinet, and may be held to reflect the views
and to be carrying out the policy
of his chief. In view of these facts we
may be pardoned for looking somewhat askance
at the studied deliverance of presidential
candidate angling for votes, or newly elected
officer fishing for support, especially when
the subsequent acts Of his administration are
so directly in the teeth of his plausible
words. Taking Mr.. Higgins and the
Villas Confidential" circular together
as expressions of the administration
and neither has ever been rebuked by a
uggestion-thec common people of the country
will not require long to come to the conclusion
that Mr.. Hepdricks's plan Of removing Re-
publican officials and filing their places with
Democrats is infinitely more respectable and
honorable than the canting. disreputable, un-
derhand methods now largely in vogue.
THE conduct of the new Secretary Of the