Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-30

Will - VIC CJGul 1uu u pvlilG1f px-l6t
ment. By assessing the salaries OF their
subordinAtes the leaders Of this
class levy a tsx upoa the public
treasury for their own beneflt and
that of party. TIE voters Of the party
submit to their sway because refusal
seems to mean the success Of the opposi-
ton. Party ceases to be . voluntary
union TO shape public policy and becomes
] Q faction to promote private gain and
crafty personal ambition. Politics de-
generate into mere plsce-hunting and
venal 1obbery. Self-respscting men with
draw more and more from public life.
HONORABLE AMBITION DISAPPEARS.
Bosses replace statesmen. The young
American is taught that the qualifications
for public service are not integrity,
Intelligence and industry, but sycophan-
cy and servility, cheating aud bribipg,
and every kind Of disorierly violence end
unmanly trickery. He must be parasite
or . rulfian instead Of msn. In such q
situation loss Of self respect becomes the
condition of publ c employment. The
evil system multiplies enormously uu-
necessary places. It stimulates reckless
extravsgsnce In public expenditure. 1.
controls the vast contracts Of the govern
men.. It transforms the highest ofacsrs
of administration into brokers Of
petty place. 1t subsidies the
press, denies the Ameri-
can name, debsuches the national charac-
ter, until under its degrading mastery the
power OF the people passes into the hands
Of Q venal Oligsrchy and presidential
election ceases to be . contest of di6er-
ing policies determined by free argument
before the people and becomes fero-
cious and desperate struggle for the
emoluments OF place.
This WAS our indictment against the
evil system when we organized the league
seven years ago. 1t was written upon
the consciousness Of every American citi-
zen familiar with practical politics. 1t is
written there still.
THE WORK NOT TO BE CHECKED.
The grest service Of the League hith-
erto lies In arousing the public mind, in
creating powerful public opinion, and
in stimulating practical measures OF re-
form. We have procured the passage Of
wise and comprehensive reform laws.
Mr.. Curtis then reviews at length the
good accomplished by the League since
its organization, and says: Who
ever supposes thst its course
Is checked or It's success endaD-
gered because the President writes
letter to influence local election, OF,
because postoffices are still treated q
party booty, would despair Of Hood tide
because every successive wave Is No.
higher than its predecessor, and lose an
hope of coming midsummer because
there ars chilly days in Msy.
FupTurp pvropM
There are two important measures
yet 80 be adopted: First, the repeal of
the four years law, law which ems
bles complete partisan change Of the
service to be made in way which per-
mits the executive to escape, rs in such
csse he ought not to escape the odium
of arbitrary removals. The other meas
ure Is an amendment to the constitution
extending the term of the presidency and
making the President ineligible for Q Sec
ord term.
The unwritten Law which ferbids third
term to any President is founded in the
reason which would prohibit q second
term, and, which great American states
men have strongly stated, Jackson, who
advised Monroe to be the President OF
the whole people and not of a party, but
who, when he reached the White House,
was thelmost absolute of psrty Presidents,
twice urged upon Congress the passage
of an amendment limiting the Presidency
to one term. Harrison pledged himself
to single term, but psrished in month
under the fierce pressure for place.
Henry Clay in lS42 declared such ant
amendment to be the principal object sof
the WhIg party.
Charles Sumner introduced in the Sen
ate an amendment providing for the inc
Eligibility Of the President, and President
Cleveland, in accepting the nomination
four years ago,
ADDED HIS VOICE
TO the earlier warnings He said:
"When we consider the patronage OF this
the temptation to retain public places
once gained. and more than all, the avail
ability q party hnds in an incumbent
whom horde of of3ce holders with ;
zeal born Of benefits received and fos-I
tered by the hope OF fsvors yet to
come, stand ready to aid with money ard
political service. we recognize in the ell
gibility Of the President for reelection 8
most serious danger to that calm, DELHI
crate and Intelligent action which must
Cu6EaCbcIlZ0 y SONCLuIu0usVI tuO POoPACs
The tendency and temptation which In
the mere prospect the President depicts
in these decisive and accurate words,
actual experience has doubtless proved to
him to be stronger and more seductive
than he imagined. The Secretary of the
Treasury denies that the administration
has ABANDONED REFoRN
and adds that the law has been rigidly
enforced, its application extended and its
spirit observed. But he would probably
agree that II the constitution had made
the President ineligible for reelection
there would have been no reason for the
assertion that reform had been abandon
ed, the application Of the law would have
been much more widely extended, and
its spirit would have been SO generally
observed that no successor Of the Presi- |
dent would have dared to return to the |
old abuses, and the President himself
would have happily identified mis- name
with one Of thelnost benefcent political
reforms In our annals.
- AN KXAMPLK IN ENGLAND.
Nowhere is party feeling stronger,
party purpose more definite, party Or
gsnization more absolute AID complete, |
and nouhara ara marty cnnfesta mora