The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-26
DEMOCRATIC DISHONESTY,

DbMUOhh1iJ L.
The Louisville Courier-Journal is still so
overweight by the calamities that have be-
fallen the Democratic party that it blindly
strikes out every time it hears the name of an
opponent mentioned. Such is its frenzy that
it does not realize that it is doing nobody
harm. In its last issue it rails at Mr.. Blaine
because he chose to declare that, while ne was
in favor of civilservice reform he was OPP
posed to the introduction of anything like the
system in vogue in England, which has been
pronounced failure even by its friends, as
has been shown repeatedly by quotations from
ing politicians Of that country. The CD.
then proceeds to declare that it, too, opposes
the civilservice idea, but on much loftier and
more patriotic grounds Getting down to the
essence of its bitterness, it then declares that
"there are those who couple ciyil-service re-
form and revenue reform" 'This is afalacy,'
continues that paper. No one thought
of connecting the two in relation to
the Democratic party. No one was simple
enough to hope that the Democratic party
was the honest champion of both, unless it
be the handful of mugwumps whose common
sense has to be impeached to save their integ-
rity at this jancture. The CD. then admits,
with a candor that is as surprising as its in
genuousness, that 1--WE can better afford to
pay the robber barons exorbitant subsidies
than to revolutionize our democratic system
by introducing the Anglo French bureau sys-
tenn of non partisan civil-service business
principles, which is a cheat and lie in Eng
land and France, and would be, if established
here, hypocrisy and sham besides This
is about the ground that Mr. Blaine took, ex-
cept the CD. states it with that peculiar
Southern fiery impetuosity for which it is fa'
nous. 1t is pretty generally known
that the Democratic party does not
respect civil service reform, though it
made specious attempt to appear that it did
at the time Mr.. Pendleton introduced the bill
that has since become law. At that time it
was recognized that it would apply only to
Republicans, and there was the hope in it
that few Democrats might profit by its oper-
atoms. But from the minute that it became
known that Democracy had succeeded to the
control of official patronage, the party has dis
honored the law in a manner that indicates
its intense contempt for it, and as for Pendle-
ton it spat on him. 1t can be said with alb
solute truth that no Republican has profted
by it since Mr.. Cleveland has become Presi
dent. True, there are few Republican
officials who have not been thrust out of
Office but they have been hustled out of
every place possible wthou. kill ing the eff
cheney of the service. That Democracy is i'm
patient even under this state of affairs, was
demonstrated everywhere in the last election,
for Democratic majorities declined in every
Democratic stronghold. The ranks could not
be rallied. The CD. is right-the Democratic
party would rather wait for civil-service re-
form than for tariff reform. Yet has this
same Democratic paper been bowling without
ceasing about the iniquity Of the war tariff,
and walking the floor day and night because
it could not sleep on account of the infamous
imposition, as it was pleased to term it.
There is measure of dishonesty in this that
stamps the Courier Journal and its kind as
insincere, to say the least that can be said.
The effect of the enforcement of the civil
service rules would reach about one man in a
thousand, while, as that paper knows, the
tariff, if unjust, bears wrongfully upon nine
tenths Of the people of this country The
Democratic party, by IFS own pleading, has
shown that it is more intent On the spoils,
that not one in ten of them could enjoy than
on measures influencing all the people, from
the highest to the lowest. Democracy is true
to its traditions of dishonesty.