Morning journal and courier., 1886-06-11

PROG R ESS OF GREAT REFOR M.
 When President Cleveland took the reins of government the reformatory and sanguine mugwumps predicted and expected great things in the way of reform. But they have ssen their predictions fail and their fondest hopes rapidly decay ul til now they are dis couraged and have reason to believe that wisdom and reform will die with them.
 A fair specimen of the reformatory spirit of the Democratic administration has cropped out in Brooklyn at the navy yard. When Secretary Whitney began work he was very severe ln his strictures on the methods which had hitherts prevailed in the navy yard, and quite emphatic in his declaration that very different principles should thenceforth be adopted there. He said to a reporter of the Brooklyn Union concerning change that had been made at the yard: It means that l intend to introduce a new system into the Navy department, and that propose that it shall be run on business principles in the future. I had not been in charge of the de- pertinent many weeks before discovered that it's business was being conducted in g most remarkable manner; that money was rscklessly spent, and that men were paid for work which was never done, in fact, that the whole system was rotten. I intend to visit the principal shipyards of the coun- try and make a careful inspection of their methods of doing business. I shall then de eide upon the best system to adopt for the government yards.
 These were brave words and they cheered the hearts of all the reformers who read them. But the other day Chief Engineer John P. Kelley was removed from the posi- tion of head of the department of steam en- gineering at the yard, and he makes the fol- lowing explanation of his removal: The con tracting system now in vogue at the navy yard is in reality the cause of my dstach- ment. The trouble is, each contractor tries to put in as poor article as he can in order to get much money possible out of the government. The Secretary of the Navy I supposed sent me here to protect the gov ernments interests and expected me to do my duty. I found the goods did not come up to the required stand ard and rejected them. I defy any man to show me a single instance where have fail ed in my service to the government. Now, what is my reward for all thisi I find after I have been here a short time that ran against a lot of contractors who have polit- ical pull I condemned their goods and they in return try to have me removed. was given to understand some time ago that I had to work in with lot of contractors. The next heard was that my detachment had been decided upon by the secretary.
 This cannot be reform or the best system the Secretary of the Navy could adopt. The Brooklyn Union, which was a faithful and vigorous advocate of the new reform, says: If the head of the department of steam en- gineering is expected to pay more attention to the interests of the constituents of the Hon. Tim Campbell than to those of the gov ernment it would be we'll to know who is re- sponsible for such 8 rule of action. If the secretary does not discover it the President may very properly remind the secretary that he is taking unwarrantable liberties with the good name of the administration.