The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-26
MR. CLEvELAND,s COLLAPSE.

that its salient features have been forgotten.
1t is not SO long ago but it is recalled that the
| Hon. Grover Cleveland was set up as the
model of official integrity He was the Great
Man of his day, the Reformer, man of such
| force of character whose virtues were 'that
tower of strength which stood four-square to
all the winds that blow" It was in the ma
ture OF sacrilege to hint that he was probably
| no better that many another man that could
be named. The Democrats saw in him the
sincerity of Jefferson, the austere honesty of
jackson; and the mugwumps saw even more,
for they insisted that he was lusus naturse,
man vastly better and stronger
than his party While many Democrats
seemed to glory in the fact that his private
character was smutched, the mugwumps we're
| only too glad to condone s'little thing like
that in order to promote man destined by
kind Providence to do so much for civil-serv-
| ice reform. If any confirmation of this ante
| election cause for adulation were needed, it
was presented year ago last December in an
open letter, penned on the blessed Christmas
day. George William Curtis, chief of the
mugwump sanhedrim, positively could not
contain himself in peace; his ecstatic soul
must find vent, or burst from very joy. Con-
| fdent that he possessed the only genuine
| white elephant, he could not wait for
the grand parade day. still some two
months away, and must peeds put the
sacred beast through some of his
| PAGES, for the delectat;on and reinsurance of
| the faithful and nc less for the confusion and
overthrow Of such as had the temerity to still
question in their hearts. That letter, as in
| tended, was clincher for all that had been
said in behalf of this marvel of virtue aud
fixedness of purpose. Replying to leading
question, put to him by man protesting the
profoundest admiration for him, and for the
purpose of being able to say II told you 80"
Mr.. Cleveland unhesitatingly and unquali
fiedly committed himself to the impartial en-
| forcement of the civil-service idea, and wished
| ried out wherever practicable in appointments
not under operation of the rules. Ho en-
pbatically stated that no officer would be or
should be removed, except for cause" Had
Mr.. Curtis intended his letter as trap, he
could not have caught his victim more neatly,
nor put larger skeleton in his political closet
| A little more than year has elapsed since
that letter was paraded with such a flourish
of reform trumpets, and not year has yet
elapsed since this paragon of politics has been
in position to put his ideas into effect The
| ashes from the crater of Vesuvius did not
bury Pompeii any more completely than have
this mans acts overwhelmed his professions.
The mugwump ideal is in the dust; the gild-
ing is abraded, and he is of the commonest
clay. From voluntarily pledging himself to
observe the spirit Of the civil service rules in
all his appointments he has rapidly reached
that point where he not only casts discredit
upon them, but refuses to offer any explanation
| why he does so. In his letter. which was really
an extraofficial proclamation, he declared that
no officer should be removed but for cause.
1t would be reflection upon the intelligence
of the public to point out even few of the
most fragrant violations of this pledge Hun
| dreds and thousands of the best men in the
public service, men who had established their
proficiency and probity by long terms, and
their places, in many instances-too many to
begin to particularize-have been filled by the
appointment Of penitentiary graduates, ex-
thieves, and others better fitted for enforced
than honorable service to the public. The
man who thirteen months ago so egotistic.
ally promised to deliver this country from inn
imaginary evils, as we'll as the few real ones
that in the nature of things could not at once
be eradicated, has failed. He could hardly
have done worse had he tried And to cap it
all, he steps back upon what he
is pleased to term the presi-
Dental prerogative, and refuses to give
the cause for which removals have been made,
From what has been revealed in the first
years service of this unknown man it is an
parent that he is either dishonest or possesses
none of the characteristics of a strong man;
he either purposely misled the friends of re-
form during and after the campaign, or he has
since become the tool of the manipulators of
his party Taking the latter as the more
charitable view, what have the betrayers of
the Republican party gained in the election
of this man? Have the civil-service rules
been honoredi No man can honestly say they
have. Instead Of the manly stand he prom
ised in defense Of reform Mr. Cleveland has