New-York tribune., 1885-03-06
PROMISE AND PERFORMANCE.

| nretatiop of them by his earliest Official acts.
Scarcely any act during his term OF office can
| nossiplv disclose so much of his purpose ana
bent of mind, his sincerity or insinceiity, as his
| choice of Cabinet officers. Courtesy towau the
new President required that his inaugural
| declarations should be treated, not as empty
platitudes, but as expressions OF sincere pur,
| pose. So justice and self-respect will compei
| the American people to say, when they learn
what Cabinet officers he has chosen that, III
some respects at least. his choice stamps HIS
professions with the mark OF inslncerity.
No other declaration of the inaugural address
| attracted more attention than the Presideht s
words about Civil Service reform. But the
cOuntry demands not words, but deeds. Inc
| President may rest assured tha, the people are
not to be deceived by empty platitudes' ana
| when he selects for the very office which has
| largest control over appointments, and has ever
been most mIsused for partisan purposes, man
who is known only as political boss OF the
most unscrupulous order, they will not give Mr..
Cleveland credit for sincerity. Mr.. Manning Is
| ;ndeed q fine person TO head the crusade for re-
| form of the Civil Service The citizens who were
ouite too holy to support the Republican can
didate will no doubt congratulate themselves
| that at last they have succeeded In serving the
cause of reform by putting into the treasury
| Department one of the associates II not hire-
| lings of Boss Tweed WHIP afterward became his
| imitatOr.
Another declaration of the inaugural which
meant everything for the country II IL was
sincere, concerned the treatment OF the
| colored citizens at the South. what are we
| TO think of Mr. Cleveland's sincerity In these
| fine professions, when he selects, as the very
officer of all others charged with the duty OF Ell
! forcing the election laws, Mr.. Garland OF
| Arkansas, product of the shameless conspiracy
which to .day rules in so many Southern States
by systematj" fraud, for which systematic as
sassination prepared the wayi Mr.. Garland
was not merely one of the products of this law
defying and infamous conspiracy; he was one
of those who gave his efforts, and his influence,
| and his weight of character to make that con-
] spjracy a success to shelter assassips from ire
consequences of their crime, and to shield fraud
and perjury from public Odium. Nor is ne the
only one who was lifted to high station by such
denial of the rights of freedmen, and has never
| tbeless now been chosen by the PreSMcnt 70
illustrate his regard for the rights OF freedmen
| Mr.. Lamar represents State III which ma
jOrity of the persons entitled to vote under the
Constitution of the United States are now ana
ever have been hostile to his party, and ne
knows that at no time for the last fifteen years
has it been possible fol him to reach seat In
either branch of Congress from the State OF
Mississippi, except in defiance of the will OF tine
electors. Able men, honorable men in other
matters, Messrs Lamar and Garland the more
forcibly illustrate that incOncevable perversOn
of mind which counts it not dishonOrable to en-
;oy the fruits of a vast robbery by which q
| million of free citizens are deprived OF theiI
sacred rights.
The selection of Mr.. Bayard, prominent and
thorough free trader, would have cast a similar
light upon Mr.. Clevelaud's opinions on the
tariff question, had Mr.. Bayard been selected
for the Treasury Department. AS it is, judg-
ment must be reserved until more may bt
known of the purpose of the political boss who
has been chosen in Mr.. Bayard's stead for the
| department of finance. But In one respect the
| selection of Mr.. Bayard accOrds only too well
| with the tendencies of the Democratic party
It is u selection which will please Great Britain
very much better than the United States.
1t is to be noticed, also, that while Mr.. Cleve-
| land makes elaborate professions OF desire to
put an end to sectional feeling, he is careful to
select, as the only members of his Cabinet who
have National reputation, extended influence. or
large experience in public affairs, three repre-
sentatives of tho late COnfederacy Men OF
weight and power men of ideas and of states
manship, are chosen to speak for the South, and
that is proper. But who represents the North
Where is Mr.. PendletOnf Where is Mr. Thur
mani Was it not possible to find In New
England man of larger influence and greater
experience than Mr.. EndicOtt7 Does not the
Democratic party know at least as much of
Senator Mcdonald as of the corporation lawyer.
Colonel Vilasi
New-York has strong statesmen on the DEM
Ocratic side, Seymour and Herman. and Hewitt,
and others not few. Mr.. Whitney isknOwn in
this city as a capable and accomplished man,
and beyond question his services to Mr.. Cleve-
land have been of the kind that compelled
recognition. No man in the Cabinet did so
much to elect him, or will now make him more
friends and fewer enemies. But when the
President decided to take two Cabinet officers
from his own State, might he not have selected
one, at least, with reference to just confidence
inspired in the party and throughout the country
by actual experience in large public affairsf
Enough for the present. The sorrow
with which these selections will be received by
those who have expected from Mr.. Cleveland an
| honorable performance of lofty promises will
be shared by the wiser members of his party
who have expected from him at least more fair
ness and more sagacity In dealing with its
different elements.