Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-25
BLACKBURN oNrCIvILi SERVICE
Calling 1t a Great HumBug-E lecto-
raj Bill "Reminiscences,


A Pittsburg (Pa) special to the New
York Tribune says: Senator Blackburn
passed through the city to-day on his way
to Kentucky. To reporters remark that
civil service was his hobby, the Senator
replied:
81 will tell you what said to the Presi-
dent days ago. We had been speaking of
the nomination of Matthews to be Regis
ter OF the District of Columbia, the con-
firmation OF whom l opposed in the Sem
ate. 'Mr. Cleveland.' said l, 'fl were
President of the United States | would
call my Cabinet together and say: Gen
tlemen, if there Is a single Republican
office holder in your departments at the
expiration of period of ten days your
designations will be expected forthwith
Briefly, 1 consider civil service reform
the biggest humbug ever perpetrated upon
the American people,"
The Senator said that Secretary Whit
ney had informed him that Matthew'S
only political value consisted in his
| ability to stir up ''rows" in ward meet
| ings. He considers Matthew'S appoint
| ment a mistake and when the President
said that he wanted to show that the
Democratic party was not inclined to
| draw the color line Mr. Blackburn sug-
| post office, and he promised to vote for his
! confirmation. Mr.. Blackburn, Just be-
| fore leaving the capital, volunteered the
! information to Mr.. Matthews that he
would see that he did not receive seven
votes when his appointment is again re-
ported to the Senate. Mr.. Blackburn
| was asked his opinion OF Tilden's course
during the critical period that preceded
| HAYES Inauguration. He said
IfIdpn had nj INV tIn,a ,N,t N oor1
in the New York papers declaring him
self the rightfully elected President of
| the United States and affirming his deter
J minatlon 10 maintain his rights. the op-
position would have melted away and
Hayes would never have entered the
White House. Tllden constantly sent
emissaries TO myself and other opponents
OF the electoral bill begging us 10 desist,
| rs he had the strongest case. jerry
Black aptly described the situation when
he said, after the appointment Of the COM
| mission: We have the case but they
have the court, and upon the whole
would rather have their chances than
ours. Tilden's friends say that ne feared
bloodshed. Had the electoral bill failed
TO pass there would have been no blood
shed. The nation would be without a
head aud the Republicans would have
employed the military 10 sit Hayes. This
was what was fighting for. | did not
want TO give them shadow OF legal right
10 the Presidency, but there would have
been no resistance TO the usurpation. Ny
purpose would have been accomplished if
Randall had not lost his head. In the
first caucus OF the tilibusters said that
II Randall would give me the shading OF
the rules 1 would guarantee TO prevent
the electoral bill from passing for six
weeks or six months if necessary. Ran
dali agreed, but after he had fought the
bill for five weeks and were within five
days Of the death Of the FOrty-fourth
| Congress, Randall weakened under the
tremendous moral pressure that had been
brought to bear upon him and by "A single
arbitrary ruling let the bill 90 through"
w hen asked TO name the standard bear
ers in the next Presidential campaign
! Blackburn said: cleveland and Blaine,
unless Hill should prove too strong for
the former in New YORK. II would never
do TO nominate Hill over Cleveland's
head, but he might get the second place
| on the ticket with a Western man. It's
time that the Democrats took candidate
! from the West anyway. Every presidrn-
| tial nom nation since Buchanan has been
| practically a resident OF New York.
| Mcclellan aud Hancock were but nomi-
| nal Pennsylvanians."