Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-03-02
Chicago Inter-Ocean.
Almost a Year of Reform.

We are not vet at the end of the first year
of an administration that set out with the
most ostentatious pretences of "Reform."
Dir Cleveland's most ardent supporters did
not claim that he was specially qualified by
knowledge Of national affairs and statesmen
the discharge of the duties of the Presidency.
Indeed, Mr.. Beecher urged that his candi-
dates ignorance and inexperience were his
best qualifications. knowledge of men and
affairs, according to Mr. Beecher's ideas, at
that time, was demoralzng and tended to
corrupt our national Statesmen. On this ex-
treme and novel theory enough of our Mug
wumps voted for Mr.. Cleveland, as the COM
ing apostle of purity d reform, to elect him.
The experiment of making the White
House a primary school for the education Of
the President has got along thus far. The
result. are what everybody now sees, and
what most men with a thorough knowledge
of Mr.. Cleveland and of the political history
of the country, expected to see.
Mr.. Cleveland's "Reform" has gwen over
MARYLAND to the tender mercies of Senator
German, the most notorious and ablest
spokesman" in Congress. Mr.. German has
beaten all the more reputable democratic
leaders in his own State and the President
has put Mr.. Germans most INSCRIPTIONS
lieutenants in the places where thew would
do the latter the most good. Mr.. Gorman's
most dreaded rival, Mr.. McLane, was exiled
to the French Mission, where he has been
mostly unheard of and uninf1uential as the
spoils-democrats of Ohio got the President to
exile Mr.. Pendleton for having given his
n,,l tInr ans N,x,1
Service Reform bill.
SO, in New England, the President has vim
Dictated his title to the name of performer"
BY appointing to influential positions the most
notorious "spoils democrats" such as Troup
in Connecticut Pillsbury, in Massachusetts,
and Chase. in Maine. column might be
filled with list of the more prominent ap-
pointments OF the same sort, in other parts Of
the country.
But rhese glaring illustrations of the folly
of going it blind in the election of Pres-
dent. do not present the worst features of the
briei and not brilliant history of this ''re-
form" administration. The Pan Electric
scandals, affecting first the department of
justice and then the department of the interi-
or, are now become an intolerabe burden on
the President. who has allowed Mr.. Garland
to hold both his place and his Pan-Electric
stock, and mas authorized the proceedings
that if successful might make Mr.. Garland a
millionaire msny times over. The position
of the President IS the more indefen-
sible and scandalous because most of the
material facts relating to the Pan-Electric
conspiracy were published by the Tribune
five months ago and were of a character to
demand the immediate attention, inquiry and
action OF the President He could have got
I'll. hntt l,cl
he been the pure and courageous Reform
err" that existed in the Mugwump imagnations
of Mr.. Cleveland, the candidate. Instead, he
has stoldly wthstood the growingly indg-
nant public sentiment of the country, has
kept Mr. Garland and Mr. Lamar where they
were expected to do the most good for the
Pan Electric Missionaries and spectators and
has demonstrated that the moral courage with
which he was credited by his Mugwump sup
porters was merely pachvdermatousness,t that
might become decidedly immoral.
The insensibiltv that has withstood the
friendly entreaties or angry demands of the
Presidents chief newspaper supporters, final
" put the democratic House in such an I'M
comfortable position that hitherto obscure
republican member, Mr.. Hanback,, by pure
force of earnest insistence. and against all
parliamentary rules, compelled the House to
appoint hastily drawn resolution for inves-
tigsting the Pan Electric scandals. This
resolution was found too scant and the ire
sistibe power OF public sentiment and re-
spect for the better portion of democratic
constituencies have forced the House Com
mittee on Rules to adopt another resolution,
that is comprehensive, and sufficient to au-
thorize the most searching inquiries.
The history of the genesis of this sweep
ing resolution affords the browning proof of
the spread and growth of the conviction that
the Pan-Electric scandals require the imme-
date attention of the House in which. as the
constitutional body tor the orignation of i'm
parchment proceedings the direct represen-
tatives of the people are the guardians of the
honor and interests of the nation as regards
the conduct of its executive officers An
able and upright investigating committee will
be appointed and it will have the fullest scope
for all legitimate inquiries.
II is not improbable that by the end of Mr.
Clevelsnd's first year democratic investi-
eating committee will have developed enough
facts in regard TO the Pam Electric conspira-
cy to compel him to save himself by throw
ing Garland, at leas, overheard.
Suppose that Mr.. Blaine and Mr.. Cleve-
land were running this year as rival candi-
dates for the Presidency, what would be the
extent of the formers large plurality of
electoral votes?
Would not .'the scattering vote" alone.
beat that of Mr.. Cleveland's supporters?
Arson Advocated