The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-21
PRESIDENT oLgvELANDs REFORM.

PRESIDENT CLEVELANDs REFORM.
This is a reform administration. Demo
cratic speakers all over the country, during
the last presidential campaign, told their hear
ers that the government had been swindled-
cheated-and the people ruined by the extrav
agances and bad management of the Repub-
lican officials, and there was no hope for the
country until honest Democrats were put in
office. The Democratic party succeeded in
electing their President, and there was great
rejoicing throughout the land. The long
looked-for good time had come-the political
millennium was at hand. A good fat Office
was expected by the hungry dead-beats who
had talked SO loud and worked so hard for the
success of their ticket. This army of hungry
expectants went to Washington, and made a
raid on the President, fully expecting suita-
BILE reward for the good work they had done
for the party, and reminding the President of
the Jacksonian doctrine that Ito the victor
belong the spoils."
President Cleveland was very thankful for
their valuable services in securing his cleo
ton, but had a faint remembrance of plank
in the Democratic platform which said some
thing about ''civil SERVICE" and, as a consci-
entious Democrat he. must take time
to examine this plank and see
what it meant In the meantime
this hungry army has waited until their
pockets are empty and their patience ex-
hausted, and now they have decided that
President Cleveland is not jackson Demo-
GRAFT The President has decided that there
is civil-service law, and that, inasmuch as
he had pledged himself in his letter of accept
ance, if elected, to carry out this law, he must
now make good his promise.
But will he? Can he do this9 Can he ig-
more this clamorous demand for office from
this army of place-seekers Of the Jacksonian
school of Democrats Does he not begin to
see that he has undertaken a big job, much
heavier than he can carry? Does he not be-
gin to see that Nasty was correct in saying
that Democracy meant Officer Perhaps the
President was right in thinking reform was
needed-and perhaps he was honest in believ-
ing that he could and would make the much
needed reform. But unfortunately for the
success Of this worthy object he did not have
correct idea Of where the reform should be-
gin, and SO, like many other men, knowing
something must be done, and not knowing
how to do it, he began at the wrong end
Had he comprehended the true situation, he
would at once have seen that the greatest re-
form needed was the reformation Of the Dem
ocratic party, of which he claims to be an ex-
ponent. He could not fail to see that the
party needed reforming all along the line.
There was the old Jeffersonian Democrat, who
had heard it said, long time ago. that JEFF
ferson was the father of Democracy, and
without knowing what that meant, or what
Jefferson's political opinions were, he claims
to be Democrat Of ''the Jefferson school,"
and thinks that the times and laws were good
enough fifty years ago, and that there is no
such thing as progress. This wing of the
Democracy still swear by Jefferson, but it is
now Jefferson Davis. The President seems
to have recognized this wing of the Democracy
as the true opponents of his party, and in the
makeup of his advisers, and in filing the
principal Offices, has given this wing Of his
party the lions share. The true Union Dem
ocrats who went TO the front to defend the
country from armed rebellion, have
been left out in the cold and told
they were wrong in fighting to
preserve the Union. This Union element of
the Democracy are not yet convinced that all
the blood and treasure spent in defense Of the
government was spent in vain. If it be true
that governments are maintained by rewards
and pnnishments," then the President must
think those who did their utmost to destroy
the government were its best friends, and de-
serve reward. But by the time President
Cleveland reforms the errors in faith and
practice in his own party, all his strength,
physical and mental will be exhausted. We
urge the President to begin this work at once
assuring him that this is the first step in the
much-needed reform, and, though it is very
big job, if he shall accomplish this the rest
will be comparatively easy, and he will have
the satisfaction of knowing he has done a
good work.
The bill introduced by Congressman Cald-
we'll, of Tennessee, providing for civil-service
examination for those already in Office, is in
the nature of an inquisition calculated to GUST