Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-06-18
GAINS AND LOSSES.

precedence; that the tariff and the
state of the finances affected the wei
fare OF all classes; and that the condi.
ton of industry and trade proved the
need of decision so emphatic rs to be
final in favor of the Republican party.
Had this class of questions governed
the votes of the people, there can be
no doubt that the Republican party
would have prevailed. But another
body of voters insisted that what they
called administrative reform was the
crying need of the time. Some were
gross and reckless in charges, and de
clared that the public service was full
of rottenness, and that the "rascalsN
must be turned out. Others conceived
that one thing needful was Civil Ser
vice Reform. Giving them credit for
full sincerity in all their professions,
they were convinced that no other
matter was so important as to purify
and elevate the service by better Sc
lection of officers, and that Mr.. Cleve-
land was a Heaven-sent agent to ac-
complish this great work and to free
the public service from partisanship.
These prevailed. According to their
view, whatever has occurred otherwise
is of small account if Civil Service Re
form moves forward if partisanship
is getting cleaned out of the service,
and if the rascals are being turned out
A quarter of Mr.. Cleveland's first
year, three of the forty eight months
he has to serve, have passed. Has he
found amazing rottenness in the public
service2 If so, why does he keep it so
profoundly secret? In the phrase of
Mr.. Hendricks, the roof has been off
three months. and the light has been
pouring in, and eager eyes have been
peering into all those books he was so
anxious to have opened. But not a
trace of fraud or abuse has been de-
tected, so far as the public is permitted
to know. In half dozen cases, insig-
nificant persons have been discharged
for individual faults About as many
We're discharged every quarter, for like
offences, by Republican Presidents.
But the books are found to contain no
record of criminality. The cash in the
Treasury has been counted, and not
even the two cents which rolled away
on the floor proved to be missing. The
officials, it is now confessed, are found
TO be indispensable because of their
ability and fidelity, and cannot be
spared. So far, the proof is that it
was false charge that reform was
needed. Men who acted on that idea.
if they are honest and candid, must
own that they were deluded.
But what are they getting? Is a bet
ter state of the public service resulting?
Changes have been made in consider
able number. Is there a single one
which merits decided praise as a change
for the better? 1t is not reform. if Mr..
Cleveland turns out good men and ap-
points others equally good. But has
he done even that? No one seriously
considers that the service has been i'm
proved thus far. On the contrary. all
the Presidents friends apologize for
what he has done, but say that he has
erred through ineXperience and lack of
knowledge of men. Yet some men
have been appointed who are dis
grace to the service. Then, as to par
tlsanship, will the blindest and most
blgoted devotee of theory seriously
claim that any step has been taken
toward ridding the service of this evil?
AS rule, are not the men put in more
bitter and intense partisans as Demo
Gratis than the Republicans put out?
1t is not needful to dwell on the selec-
ton OF former rebels or malignant
copperheads. The broad fact is that
nearly every new official has been
chosen on account of his extreme par
tisanship. The men have been Sc
lected, as a rule, because of their fac
ulty OF using the service for party ends
as Manning does and Higgins does. Is
this reform? 1t must be confessed bv
candid men that so far there is no in
dication or promise whatever of anv
gain in the direction expected. There
was no need Of reform at the outset.
The only result obtained so far is that
Mr.. Cleveland is undoing the work re-
formers had previously done.
But what have we lost MEANWHILE
Seven months Of the greatest disaster
and prostration ofindustry ever known
have followed the election. Irncer-
tainty continues. 1t is not in the
power of the President to end it. He
cannot control his party as to the
tariff or the currency. He cannot now
make it clear what sort Of bill he wouId
veto, or what influence he has TO nre-
vent the passage Of bills. Doubt
distrust, shrinkage Of business. accum-
ulation of idle money in greater
amount than ever and growing dis
tress and discomfort Of labor. are in