The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1885-10-02
A MeteOric Shower.
From Wilmington Star.

.
Mr.. Cleveland filings his adjectives with
a skillful hand at the heads of all who
have the temerity to question or oppose
the wisdom of the system that was started
by George William Curtis, a pronounced
Republican, and was engineered IN the
Senate by Mr.. Pendleton, Democrat
from Ohio. We admire Mr. Pendeton,
but he never engaged in a more nnfortu-
nate work than when he introduced and
coached the bill that give perpetuity to
the tenure Of office of thousands of Re
publicanS. His motives were doubtless
good, and the general principles of his bill
are doubtless sound, but the result is none
the less unfortunate Since the 4th of
March, 1861, the Republicans had held
possession, and more than 100, 900 of that
party were in office. Before the new sys-
TEN of retention had been put in oper-
alton it would have been fair at least to
have equalized the distribution, giving to
each party a half. After that let civil
service rules apply.
But as operated it began with every of
flee in the possession of Republicans. The
thing was immensely funny to those in
place.
1t is ridiculous to undertake to run a
Government on Democratic principles with
Republican officials. Already it has been
found that some of the Republicans in the
Departments in Washington were acting
as spies and informers. Already the hun
dreds of Republican officials under a Dem
Ocratic Administration have been black
mailed by Republican party managers and
for Republican campaign purposes. 1t is
worse than folly to accept Democrats to
be satisfied with such condition of af
fairs.
Then again, Civil Service or otherwise,
many unfortunate appointments have been
made, of some of which the Administra-
tion has become much ashamed. The
President may hurl epithets- and he does
it with a free hand-at the great bulk of
the Democratic party who still believe that
the offices OF the country under Demo
cratic Administration should be filled by
Democrats, and still right is right and
wisdom is wisdom. He refers to those
who oppose the grand civil service hum
bug as being mischievous and and self
righteous having attenuated ideas and
as indulging carping crtlcism-as being
CapriciOus and impudent and SO on, but
the fact remains that the first thing he
did was to select Democrats for his official
advisers and sent abroad to represent the
| interests of the country only men of the
party that selected him The only Civil
Service Reform herein applied was to get
rid of Republicans many Of them able
and experienced the Democrats of
the country said well done.
The Star has often said that the Presi-
dent must enforce the law as long as it is
lsw. He has no option. No one can blame
him for executing the laws, as it is his
sworn duty to do So But on the other
hand there is, we believe, an overwhel-
ming sentiment among Southern Demo
Gratis that no party can succeed that pun
ishes its friends and rewards its enemies
that favors a principle of division that
would retain in office most of the officials
that have done so much to help ruin and
degrade the country.
The fact of men living in Office perpet-
ually is repugnant to American ideas and
Institutions Rotation in Office has been
the immcmorial usage.