Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-09-15
THE wGRE-PULLERs' WARMING.

INV w ihI|-I OIsbEho W AIMING
Mr.. Dana, Of the New York Sun, witt
q his office cat, is now ON tour of tn
: effete monarchies OF "Yurrup," but from
; the following it is evident that Mr.. Amo
Cummings, who now wields the SIM club
either has healthy kitten OH hand or h,
is most apt pupil Of the great expounde
OF political law
The Postmaster General is behind the
times when he prints in the Postal Guid,
President Cleveland's letter warning office
holders to deny themselves all efforts "to
control political movements in their locali-
ties" IL has been shown by the various
cases to which IL has been applied for settle
ment that by itself this letter is not suf-
ticlently definite. Several instances of mis-
conception on the part of office holders have
been revealed, and the discussion of each
case has either evoked some more concise
construction from official quarters, or has
shown that there still needs to be revision
ana additions before the otfce-holders path
is staked out for him 30 that he cannot fail
to Keep within the prescribed limits.
:. FOR example, Solicitor General jerks de-
iVered the opinion to a mystifed Postmas-
ter thst the control Of political move
ments' meant participation in nominating
conventions, and that the Postmaster must
keep out of them. However, after they
we're over he might take the stump.
Then IN the case of Collector Redman, of
Maine, the officeholder declared his CON
struction OF the document to be that sit
didn't apply to holidays" He was on a holi-
day when accused of transgressing the let
ter's preoepts. Mr.. Redmafl's point has not
yet been officially settled.
This is enough to show that publication
OF the letter by itself would be Just about as
satisfactory as publication of the Consti-
tuition without the amendments, Without
the rulings IN its proper mode of construo-
ZION u canLot fail occasionally to work in
Justice upon the officials who in the desire
TO put their conduct beyond official reproach
may be inclined to exaggerate its rigor.
:, The Postmaster General, who prints it for
the perusal of the clerks in his department,
and Collector Saltonstall, of Boston, who
requires that each Government employe
should turn in printed copy with his name
on the back, to testify to his reading of it,
should get out new edition.
The writing and publication of the let
ter referred to was piece of questionable
policy on the part of the President, but
he had to do something to show his
horror OF the methods in vogue-which
had, by reason of long standing come to
be viewed as laws during the Republi-
can regme-whereby every office holder,
and down to the humblest in the service,
telt himself to be committee of one to
electioneer, early and late, for his party,
and frequently gave weeks and months
TO such service, which were charged up
10 and paid for by the Government as
services rendered some department of
lgitmate business. One of the
strongest cards played by the Democ-
'acy IN the election was the
feiorm card, and under it the party
vas pledged to reform existing abuses
Il that nature, and by bouncing the OBJ
ectlonable men and filling their places
nth new men the thing was nearly ac-
ompllshed. But there was found a GER
I'm contingent, certain to be in every
olitlcal party, the members of which =.
'ught to defy the great object of the Ad- 4.
and pull wires in and out of
ason, to the detriment of the public .
ryice. 1t was to these men that the
residents letter was addressed, and not
gentlemen who, having pride and in
rest IN the ascendency OF their party,
'sire to help its members to gain honor
'ly control OF important factors in the
neral fight. While it is we'll to avoid
e open frauds perpetrated by
e Republican machine through
e bartering OF political patronage
power, it is not well, nor
1t sensible to let slip all chances for
'engthening the party's hold on the
vernment, and the fact that the e
uance OF the letter gave the Repub-
an press good handle to turn, should
deter Democrats, the country over,
IN using all honorable means to fortify \
position OF the Administration, and
engthen the cause OF good government
the land. The ill-advised actions of
tain officeholders in publishing this q
ter to their subordinates, should not be Z
en as the will of the Executive, but III
caution implied in the letter will have
alutary effect on all alike, and that is
what it was meant for.