The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-03-05
A YEARS PROGRESS.


Thursday, the 4th inst, completed the
first wear of Overwhelmingly promised
Democratic reform administration, and
what has he accomplished in the way OF
reform? 1t is true he has proved beyond
all question by the multitude OF remov-
ais he has made of true, faithful ana
competent officials in the civil service,
against whom not single charge was or
could truthfulv be made, and the APP
pointment of ex-rebels and copperhead
Democrats IN their places, that all his
emphatic pretences of devotion to the
civil service laws were but the hollow
pretences of the demagogue TO catch the
votes ofthe sell-styled civil service re-
formers to secure his election, and that
having secured his main point he cares
nothing for the law and has no farther
use for his dupes. liissweeping remoV-
al of ex-Union soldiers and sailors in the
navy Yards and divers other places, not
emitting even the board OF pension eX
aminers i'm this city and filling their
place with ex confederates and copper
heads as clearly demonstrates the TACT,
that he was no more sincere in his pro-
fessions of regard or preference for
| Union soldiers, than IN his pretended
devotion to civil service law. 1t was
simply the clap trap and catch words OF
the anxious Democratic demagogue and
office hunter. He has gathered around
| him Il cabinet, of which some of Its
members are as reckless in their disre-
gard of laws, as the pirates of the gull
coast ever were. The Attorney General,
head of the department of justice, has
covered himself with a mantle of Pan
Electric Telephone infamy that would
pe to the Cakes Ames scandal, what the
midday sun Is to II tallow dip, but he
retains his place. His Secretary of the
Interior permits one of his subordinates
To issue circular to the country relating
To pensions, and designed as campaign
document with an $50, 000, 900 lie in it,a lie
which that subordinate has been COM
PEELED to admit, but did not do Ill. his
lie had been circulated broadcast through
the length and breadth of the land. An
other subordinate with II total disregard
of law, common honesty, or common
decencv goes for the settlers on public
lands, with rulings and orders that will
deprive hundreds of their hard canned
homsieads, and reduce them to abject
poverty. Yet this Secretary of the In =
terror and his two subordinates are re-
tanned The ex-rebel is still part OF
the Presidents cabinet. His Secretary
of the Navy. the New York pulpit of the
Payne oil gang of Ohio made Secretary
not for any fitness he possessed, but be-
cause the oil gang contributed literally
to the Cleveland campaign fund, has
tried to Guido all others of Cleveland
circle in reckless violations of law and
Government contracts. BY reckless dis
regard of government contract and
trampling all law and decency under his
feet, he succeeded III running the ablest
and most enterprising and honorable
shipbuilder In the country, and after he
had driven him to poverty with the air
of an autocrat ofall the Russians, he noti-
ties Mr.. Roach that the government will
take possession of his yards, machinery,
and material, to complete the unfinished
vessels he was building. About any
other man but good-natured, honest John
Roach would have sent Secretary Whit
ney where the wood bine withereth in
noon day heat, but despite all this and
Notwithstanding for several days past he
has been skulking in and out of the very
places in New York and Jersey City to
escape the investigation of the Broadway
street railway swindle, with which he is
As badly smlrched as Garland in the tele-
! phone scandal, lie is still retained i'll
Growers cabinet. His friends are rich
and contributed literally to the cam
paign expenses, which must be made
good somehow. His Postmaster-Gener-
al, who, the moment he was appointed
was seized with a sudden attack Of swell
head and disregard of law has been busy
in working the Democratic guillotine in
the postoflice department in behalf of
the hungry ex-confederates and copper
heads, and sending foreign mails in for
eign vessels and old unseaworthy hulks.
one of which went to the bottom a few
days since with large amount of mail
on board, instead of staunch American
vessels, which had the government con-
tract for carrying the mails, and who so
far forgot his position as to illuminate
"A manifesto that all vessels sailing be-
tween the ports of the United States and
other ports in other countries should
nOlenS roiens carry all mails offered, and
receive for compensation what he the
mighty man of the cabinet should please
To- allow. He is still i'm the cabinet. His
Secretary of the Treasury, an ex-clerk of
Boss Tweed in his palmy days, is little
better than his fellows. His appointees
are of the same general character Of
other department appointments.
This is Cleveland's first year, or the
end of the first deal in his progressive
euchre game. fit goes on three years
longer, where will the honors be?