New-York tribune., 1886-02-14
BrFORu 8ETUEEV PARTIES.

Reform in a true sense, Letter government III
broad prInci,les as we'll as in details, must 'c
thr sincere desire of good citizens Ot I'll paritS'
II i hardly necessary now To say thaC th'fo
are two kinds of reform and two klndS oI p'-
LEVERS in rctorm TGose who think moss o. th'
urincinlcs of government, of the great ends Ior
which cifizors associate themselves In parties
may find more or less satisfaction in the pIeSrh'
ouilook according to their convictions bu'
those who conceive OF parties rs cohSplI'V"S
for place ami plumber, and OF parry government
rs necessarily bad government, aAd WHO care
li,tIa or no,nin., tor the principles which divide
o,rties. but everything for that sort ot reform
;n details which thcv think can best be reached
bv comparison government, must nh" '"'
present outlook quite diScOuragns.
IN snch reformers it is not matter oi all
obS,1bug interest that the party IN power
p,omiSes to reform the tariff II 1t knows "h'V
if means by TN It phrase. But II = uIHco"I"T'nT
tnat a man who accepted Sl.5oo,o"o III S'och'
winch was given to him when senator l"
secure his influence, and who dld not put away
the stock when he accepted as AttOrhey-"'h-
er1I the charge of suits in behalf oil the ""N-
ernment. is still retained in the Cabinet py
reform President 1t is not encouraging u"
hear that this Cabinet officer with the ne"
Railroad Commissioner, several promIi'".
Senators and other officials OF great Poli''ca
;nAueuce with the new Administration, ar"
holders of the same stock, ANA that the AdihIh-
istration, knowing all this, mas ordered s'I'
in toe name of the Government when may
enrich the holders, though 1t certainly Wouu
not have ordered such Il suit If conspiracy Oh
shameless Republican officials had accepted 'ht
same stock in consideration OF Their influence
Certainly those who hope to get pure govern
mont and genuine reform by the election ot Il
President irrespective of party can hnd niue
j, these thinys to encourage the experiment.
Rpt in other things there are dishcartenln@
evidences that ron-partiSan,hip has 'ot
brourhi the millennium. The Senate claims
that it should have information reIardihS
remov,ls and appointmrnts IN order to act
inteIlirently i'm confirming or rejecting appoint
ments. But the President refuses to give th't
| inflammation. II appears thar the great majority
of the officials removed or suspended by MN
were so renewed or suspended Oh ch'rEe'
| secretly made by his most actve partisan
| associates and that they do not dare To nave II
| known what charges they have maze Ill SecIc'
| against officials known to the pnDlc 10 De
| faithful and worthy. To shield them from
| nnblic censurc and to keep i'll office the party
| workers for whom places we're thus made the
| President has been induced to refuse intorma-
| tion to the Senate which no other President mas
! ever imagined that he had a right to reiaNe'
| But if good men are turned out OF Office on
| charges which the President does not dare 10
| exnose TO the light. aud if men are selected loi
very high Offices of trust who take stock IN con
sideration of their influence, and If tue power
of rhe Government is used to enrich them whiI'
they retain the stock, can it be said that non
partisan voting has thus far resulted III great
| reform
Experience is teaching the people that gov
ernment between parties or without parties l.
impossbe. A reform that is non-partlsan Is
deception and snare. Real reform comr'
only through party or within party Inside
a marty in power better men or policies maN
he preferred to worse that sort OF reform wen
ON for years in the Republican party. II tina
fails. a " orse party can be displaced to max
room for a better. That was what those mean
TO do who helped to elect a Democratic Pr"si
dent if they acted intelligcntly. They GER
tainly deceived themselves if they hoped Tor
non partisan reform. Events Indicate that the
were deceived by the Democratic party, IL the
hoped for reform through that party.