The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-14
BEN BUTLER ON CURRENT TOPICS.
Cleveland Has Not Strengthened His Party
The Civil-Service Law Humbug

strengthened his party organizationV
How. and by what acta Take it in New Eng
land for instance. Up there we believe in party
machinery Our people attend to politics with
the same vieor as they do to their business.
After election they look for the reward of their
toll, and no amount of sophistry or new ideas
of change can take the place Of neglect to give
them the fruits Of party success. The rewards
for political service in New England have not
been many among the Democracy for many
years. Yet at every election. through evil and
good report, its organization has been kept up,
and its members have gone regularly to the polls
and performed other party service. They ex-
pected, and had a right to expect, that when sue
cess finally crowned their long waiting, the fed
eral offices should be parceled out among them.
"a fly in teacup makes as much OF COM
motion as whale does in the ocean, The three
hundred-dollar postofice is as significant a mat
ter to the community about the cross roads as
the appointment of Cabinet minister or the
election OF Governor of a State is to the wider
community. The possession of the right to
handle the letters of a country side place is the
badge of party success for which these contests
of years have been waged. AS long as they re-
main unchanged or some negative man in the
party is elected to fill them there will be = feel
ing of disappointment that weakens the party
and the executive who represents it.
"Onr people look to the party machinery for
direction, only to find that the power which they
have trusted and still trust Is looked upon with
disfavor by the administration, and men are ap-
pointed to Office who have added nothing to
the party force. and cannot do so. Take, for
example, the appointment of Mr.. Satonstall as
collector of the port OF Boston. His selection
may have pleased some Of the mugwump Repub-
licans, but it was damper upon the Democrats.
For twenty years he had taken no particular
part in the Democratic party, and will not now
adj With In t.f0 Ynrla
might be cited, but taking New England as
whole the policy of our friend Cleveland has
been dispiriting to the Democrats without help
ing the temper of his mugwump allies. What is
true OF my section of the country, take IL, is
true of all the balance of the Nation Politics is
not pastime People do not organize parties,
give their time and money toward their support
for fun. Party service must have its rewards
and disappointments, but the latter must be re-
grets over defeat, not chagrin at the failure of
their candidate to fill the measure of their de-
serts. How much of the ground lost can be re-
covered during the next year two no one
tell, but the outlook is not cheerful for the
Democracy as it is at present cont olled.n
Has the legislative end of the Democratic
party succeeded any better than the executivea'
mot a bit 1t is not united upon anything or
upon any question. It's majority in Congress is
doing nothing and daring nothing. It is, and
means to be, entirely negative in Its action. It's
long absence from control has made the Demo
cratic party timid instead of aggressive, as it
used to be. It may not now have the force or
experience within it's ranks to grasp new ques-
tiOnS and create new issues. 1t has been twenty
five years out Of power, in which it has been an
objector rather than creator Its new respon-
sibilties seem to be larger than it can grasp In
the old days it was dominated In all
it's acts by the trained statesmen of
the South. The slavery end of this coun-
try was its master. These men were trained
In public affairs and dealt for it with an aggres
siveness OF purpose that awed all opposition. In
the old days of the Democracy no member of
Congress or public man made reckless speeches
upon which the opposition party could feed
few men met decided upon the policy to be pur-
sued, mapped out the line of argument and did
all the talking themselves Now almost every
individual leader in the Democratic party has
theory or purpose of his own and exploits it in
season and out of season whenever opportunity
offers. In management and question the Demo
cratic party lack cohesion and definite or agrees
sive purpose. 1t is only solid for one thing, |
believe, and that is reform"
II suppose you mean civil-service reform"
eyes, that is what they call it, believe. But
the law is humbug and cheat. 1t was passed
by Congress in which there were not ten mon
that wanted or knew what 1t meant. It was a
Democratic scheme to lessen the power of the
Republican party. and 1t was the entering wedge
to its downfall. Upon this, as upon many other
important questions, the Republican party
showed its cowardce and its lack OF honesty
The Democrats said, IL we can get this law it
will cripple our opponents, and the Republicans
said, If we get this measure and are beaten in
the election they can't turn our fellows out They
now see how badly they were fooled. The Dem
ocrats, however, are as much disguised with it
as the Republicans, but neither party just now
has the courage to say what it feels about this
measure. The only real benefit of this law is to
the Congressman. 1t relieves them of a great
deal of responsibility, aid gives them an excuse
for getting rid of the demands upon them for
places. The pressure for patronage upon a Con-
gresham is very great and where he has the
say as to appointments he makes forty enemies
and one migrate every time he makes selec-
ton. have had good deal of experience upon
this subject during my public life. In my dis
trict along the Massachusetts coast there were a
great many federal appointments. The fact is
that life tenure in the civil service runs coun-
ter to the theory of our government and will
never be- a success in this country. Both parties
are again divided upon this subject, as upon all
Others and do not see that the Democrats are
any moro for reform than the Republicans"
ssThen, what are to be the issues of the next
campaign"
II can see none ahead that are likely to be
taken hold of by either party The campaign of
1888 is likely to be like the others of late years
between the two great organizations simply q
scramble to see which party shall have the Offices
and personal abuse OF she candidates. That is
about the height of political effort in these days.
But we can't always drift along without issues
Sooner or later some strong and important ques
ton will force itself upon the country with such
power that the politicians will be obliged TO d.
vide upon it. 1t will be go grave that it will
force the solid opposition Of one marty and the
unqualified approval Of the other
rs there such question now on the political
h0rizon2"
II think can name one. Take for instance,
the present attitude of the two sections of this
country. The North pays four -ffths and the
South one-fifth of it's taxes excepting whisky
and tobacco The section which endeavered to