The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-05-14
The Administration.
New Orleans States, April 3Ol

We must confess, however, that
we think Mr.. Cleveland is moving
with something OF dilatoriness in
effecting these reforms in Louisiana.
There is little need of the Administers
ton, if we are to have real reform,
resolving itself into a commission to
take testimony in this State, with the
view of determining who shall be
removed from and who shall be re-
tanned in Office. If Mr.. Cleveland is
not acquainted with the history Of
the Republican party, and the man
ner in which the public offices here
have been used for, and prostituted
to, the most scandalous, corrupt and
iniquitious political purposes, Secre-
tary Lamar and Attorney-General
Garland are, and they ought to fully
post him.
For twenty-five years the public
business in all the Federal Offices in
the South, especially in Louisiana,
has been Systematically subordinated
to the worst species of partisan po-
itical trickery and debauchery. Not
man has held a position of conse-
quence in either the Custom House
or Post Office who has not made his
Office part of the Radical machine,
and who has not dispensed his pa
tronage with the purpose of having
dirty political work done rather than
the public business efficiently carried
on. Each and every one of these
functionaries was deliberately ap-
pointed to do this sort of work, and
each and every one has fulfilled his
part of the unclean job. 1t is the
Customhouse that constituted KEEL
logg's stronghold. From the recesses
of that building came the money and
issued the strikers and workers who
carried on his corrupt and rascally
campaigns. The members of the
Returning Board found the reward
of their perjury and forgeries in
offices in that building. Every white
or negro organizer, worker or incendi-
airy found his asylum there, and fat
salary with carte blanche to neglect
his official duties so long as he served
his party or his political boss. In
deed, as rewards for, and means to
maintain those who were most eff
Gent in working "the machine" those
Offices have ever been held under Re-
publican domination. To such an ex-
tent has this partisan policy been car
ried that, to the ears of Louisianians
"the Customhouse" sounds like
Penjdeh to those of Englishmen. In
short, to understand that the public
interests, and the reputation of the
Democratic administration, demands
the removal of the Federal Office
holders here, it is only necessary to
possess the most superficial acquain-
lance with Republican politics in
Louisiana during the past twenty
years. It was these abuses in the
civil service-the wholesale prostitu-
ton of the public Offices to political
ends-that has largely tended to keep
the good people Of this State, ire
spective of all other political issues,
united against the Radical party; and
should Mr.. Cleveland now hesitate to
make the most sweeping and radical
changes in the personnel of these
Offices, he will, unquestionably, and
Justly lose the confidence and resnact
of the Democracy of Louisiana.
We speak thus earnestly on the
subject simply in the public interest
and in the interest of the Democratic
party. We are not an applicant or
aspirant for any Office on earth, nor
is any one in whose success we have
any special concern. We only desire
that the great proposition on which
the battle for the Presidency was
fought and won, ''turn the rascals
out shall he nrar,ticaFFv viooroue1x,