The Washington critic., 1886-10-14
WASHINGTON, OCTOBER ii, 1886.
WATER ON BOTH SHOULDERS.

The Democrats of Louisville, who
combined in such strength as to defeat
Mr.. Willis for denomination TO Con-
gress, make haste to assure the Presl.
dent and the country that they have no
fault to find with the Administration.
Colonel Roach, chairman of the City
Executive Committee, writes to Mr..
Cleveland as follows;
Had he (Mr. Willis listened to the earn
est appeals of the true aud tried DemOc-
racy Of tbl district in the appointment OF
postmaster he would have been spared this
humiliation, Tor he would then have had
practically no opposition to his return to
Congress But this emphatic expression Of
the Democrats Of Lpuisy.lcis is but a feeble
expression Of the feeling OF the Democrats
Of our state, who have hravUly fought the
battles Of our party in National aud State
Issues, ard unless the tide lie stcmmcd IL
is probable that our next General Assembly
will not re-elect 10 the United states Senate
the present member But, Mr.. President
my object IN writing this letter is to disabuse
your mind of the idea that the defeat OF
Mr.. Willis is In any sense a disapproyal OF
your Administration, for we believe that
had you acted otherwise in the postofice
matter It would have established q precc.
dent that may have embarrassed you IN
future Appointments. We do not blame
you, but hold | i'm responsible for the ap-
pointing Of a Republican postmaster, the
most important appointment for the Demo-
cratic party In our state.
The President is no doubt gratihed
TO learn that the Louisville Democrats
still stand by the Administration, but
if he ever had an idea that the defeat
of Mr.. Willis was in the nature Of q
disapproval Of his policy, the above
letter is much less calculated to disa.
buse his mind of that idea than it is
TO corroborate and confirm it. Mr..
ROpch might as well have said.
1--WE do not want to embarrass you
in your appointments, Mr., President,
and We fully recognize the obliga
tions you are under to be governed
in such matters by the rccommenda.
tions of our Senators and Represeu-
tatives but whenever our Senators or
Representatives, in recommending ap.
pointments, undertake TO carry out
your ideas of civilservice reform, we
shall put an end to their public life
with the utmost practicable dispatch
They shall not give aid and comfort to
your notions of reform. If we can
help it."
But what was the necessity of their
saying anything-thcse Democrats who
want TO pat the President on the back
with one hand, while they slap him
full in the face with the her? They
believed that in urging the reippoint-
ment of Mrs Thompson, Mr.. Willis
had betrayed the interests of his party.
1t was their right TO rcbuke him for
subordinating so important a question
of patronage to the merely theoretical
requirements of civil service reform
They had a good case, and should
have left it just where 1t was, indiifer.
ent to outside opinion or even EXecu-
tive opinion TO so on and make
apologies and explanations to the Pres
ident about it, looks little inconsis.
tent and sycophantic. For they might
explain and apologize till doomsday,
and still everybody knows-the Presi,
dent better than anybody else-that the
defeat of Mr.. Willis 1oas just what they
say it was not.
To graciously excuse the President
for his adherence TO the spirit of re.
form, while savagely condemning their
members of Congress for the same
thing, is not the way for the opponents
Of the system to command respect ol
make headway. Democrats must bt
either one thing or the other. They
cannot carry water on both shoulders
without danger of spilling, Civil
service reform in Senator Beck or Rep
resentative Willis cannot by any pro
cess of special pleading be disasso
ciated from civil.service reform in Mr.
Cleveland.