Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1886-12-16
NOT WORTHY OF BELIEF.

NOT WORTHY OF BELIEF.
SIR. Blainss Late esa .<snens Reaareias
Eivil-sesvice refsrm aprsiee 90 the
Shersctor.
3tvas hoped thai sdr. Blaine would
be- gernissesi 70 retire 20 the eeiecsive
shades OF kis Aeeaste Aeeaes aztec "a
aveiug the Republican plurality in
Pennsy sSeSia fvozn 81. COS so asooO,
wishgus Sseiag easSs5 On 80 6eny amy
Of the reports es mis- ssesnp oraeofy.
Every precaatica. be- now tells as, was
fAtsu % make shess reports conform not
% svhas has said buE what be - isaed isDs-
NsssGS enAk be ban said. and vet ous Pc
Bort got agsrDSd that. hiss called sor . Ga
NAL frogs ssas champion denier OF the
eapussSs His spssecises were accurately
ee~oTaed, be teils as. FOR the Phiisdei-
pais s1ress by skilled sienogrspbess,
araA ges q speech Of bic as Ennt-
inosoa, Pa, ASs Aeen so "eer-
yefeed'' eAae he hcs beep 8ccusea
of ..repud;atiag che CiyiaSeryice re-
form xgish a sneep.'' 1t is Unfortunate
fop Mr.. Blaine that the public is used
to his denials, and takes them for just
what they are ''springes to
catch woodcocks." Since his cele-
brated denial of April "a, 1876. Of any
interest in certain railway projects. ex-
cept as as an investing purchaser.
was proved false in the face of
Congress and of the world by his own
letters, no person or politician has ever
accepted as true any denial by MIR.
Blaine in any thing in which he had
an interest. People may admire him
and political managers may worship
him, but no one places any dependence
on his word or dIsingenuOusness. His
reputation for vePacity has been shat
tered into too many fragments to be
patched into water-holding vessel
again.
o In regard to the matter of his pres
ent denial, he is entitled to the widest
circulation of his declared conversion
to the principle of Civil-Service re-
form 1t is so adroitly put that we re-
peat his words. at is scarcely neceS-
sary to say he writes, ''that l have
never repudiated reform in the civil
service. nor abated my interest there
in" When it is recalled that Mr..
Blaine, as Speaker of the House OF
Representatives appointed the COM
mittee on the subject which toma-
hawked the reform and executed the
historical war-dance over its corpse,
the true inwardness of his use of the
word ''repudiate'' may be perceived.
He Eever had any part in the reform
to repudiate. He never took any IA
voring interest All it to abate. From
the day he appeared in Washington rs
a lobbyist for the Spencer rifle manu-
facturers to the present time, toe whole
tenor OF his uttefances and practices
have been inimical to the reform.
His political life and methods have
been zone sheer ut it. and to-day no.
body would believe him were he
to say, with Henry Cabot Lodge:
81 approve the principle that
employment in those offices
in the civil service the duties of which
are administrative and not political
should be open on equal terms to
every citizen without regard to party.
If elected, l should favor the speedy
extension of the present reformed sys-
TEN to all Offices and employments OF
the Government to which it is applica-
bic, and favor the repeal of the laws
which vacate a large number of non
political offices every four years, and
the substitution therefor of a tenure
during good behavior"
Even if Mr.. Blaine were to make
such a declaration as this the people
would not believe he meant il. and
politicians would exchange winks with
Mr.. Blaine behind the peoples back.
All his prattle about aping English
civil-seryice methods is demagogy, for
MIR. Blaine is too able a man not to
know that the part of wise Statesman
ship is to take leaves from the expert
ence of every nation and people now
struggling with the problem of gov
eminent or that ever sank beneath the
weight of false leaders and selfish
statesmen. His idea of American Civ
ilService reform Is embraced in the
Jacksonian maxim: - To the victor=
belong the spoils. - Chicago NeaCs.