The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-04
A DISAPPOINTED APOSTLE.
An "Independent" News paper Thinks There L,
"ToO Much Villas in This Administration.
Indianapolis Freeman.


Indianapolis Freeman.
We are getting tired of fighting Dowlines and
Conroys-very tired, indeed. There are too
many of them We cannotkeep up with the jail
birds that this administration-notably it's Post
master general-seeS fit to honor with places
of profit and trust. And, after ALL it is all right
II such men can capture the Offices; the blame
should not fall upon them. But it should fall
with terrible weight upon the gentlemen who
make the appointments
1t may be said that mistakes are unavoidable,
and of course this is true But it is possible to
recJify such mistakes when they are pointed out.
Is this done2 Not in this latitude and longitude.
There has hardly been an appointment made in
Indiana that was not mistake.
Take the Bowling case. The man is conclu-
sively proved to be scounere there is no get
ting away from it. He himself says that he was
hired by the street-car company to corrupt our
city legislature, and that he earned his money
And this is laid before Mr.. Villas and he writes
pitiful letter, saying that Bowling had been
hasty and indiscreet.
We do not. however, care to go into this ques-
ton at ength. Mr.. Swift, in his admirable re-
ply literally wipes up the earth with Villas, and
we refer our readers to that correspondence,
which was printed in the city dailies
But what we want to suggest is this: It is
time TO go for bigger game. We must strike
higher than Bowling and Conroy Whatever
opinions men may have about the President and
the other members of the Cabinet, there can be
self utterly unfit for the place he holds. He is
too small a man-his letters show that 1t
seems to u.s. therefore, that civil service reform.
ers everywhere should unite in requesting the
President to get rid of Mr.. Villas His depart-
ment is the most pportant one of all, SO far as
concerns civilservice reform, and we can expect
nothing but the spols system in it's most obi
Gus FORM with an addition of hypocrisy, from
Villas.
Bowling is bad, but the man who appoints him
and stands by him is worse. What we have
said. of course, applies to the Conroy case It
seems to us that the Indiana Civil-service Re
form Association should take some action in this
business. About all that it can do is to attack
snch appointments and the men who make them.
We have no LAWN Indiana, at least-left to en-
force, for the Civil service Commission construed
it out of existence last summer.
If it could rise sufficiently above q wretched
partisanship. we should like to see it ask for the
removal, not Of Bowling, or Conroy or any of
the beautiful specimens now filling the Offices in
Indiana. but of Mr.. Villas.
Certainly, civil-service reformers in Indiana
have some rights which this administration is
bound to respect. The President should be
plainly told that if he has any pride whatever
to make a good record, he should turn his
Postmaster general out to grass. for that gentle
man is doing more than any other man or thing
to bring the administration into dsrepute. We
don't believe that Mr.. Villas is bad man or a
vicious man. but we know that he is weak
man and small enc, for his own letters prove it.