The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-10
CiVIL-SERVlCE REFORM.
How Mr.. Cleveland Has Kept His Promises
The Civil Service in Indiana.

Iners Vas large meeting, and Mr.. Foulke paid
his respects 10 civil-serviee reform as shown in
the national administration by Mr.. Cleveland,
and in the State administration by the condition
Of affairs in the benevolent and penal institu-
lions He said:
TT is conceded that the Democratic party
will nominate its next candidate the present
occupant of the presidential chair. His acts
durlng the past three years give as the Inllest
Information of what the Democratic voter is ex-
pected TO ratify. The man for whom be must
give his suffrage 10 the one who declared In his
letter 5s acceptance that an amendment to the
Constitution ought to be passed prohibiting the
reelection Of President, 10 prevent the ternpta-
ond term inevitably entail and whose broken
pgornises and vacillating policy have
illustrated only too clearly the
temptation to which he referred.
There is no man in Indiana that does not know
In what manner Mr.. Cleveland has kept his
promises as TO civilservice reform. The ex-
haustiye report of Lucius B. Swift has left no
opportunity for doubt. He pronounced that
the Pendleton law should be in good faith ana
without evasion enforced. Yet. in the only
postof6ce within that act the law has been for
years systema ticaly and faithlessly evaded He
promised that removals should not be made
during the terms of Incumbents solely on par
tisau grounds, for the purpose OF putting IN
their places chose in political sympathy with the
appointing power. Yet removals have been
made by Wholesale and almost universally for
the mere purpose Of substituting Democrats in
place of Republican incumb ents.
He said that partisan officials, well their
successors, must be taught that efficiency and de-
yotion TO duty are the conditions of their coutin-
nance In place. Yet the successors appointed
by him have been companies and regiments of
INSCRIPTIONS manlpuiarors of local party man.
Agemsnt; the men who pack primaries and con-
ventions such men as in Mr.. Clevelands own
words. had forfeited all claim to retention. He
promised that selections should be made upon
inquiry as to fitness; and gave nearly every
place in Indiana the booty of Coneressmen, IN
disregard TO fitness TO machine politicians. His
conduct has been infinitely for civil
service reform than the most fragrant abuses of
tfs ayowed enemy could possibly be. For he
has taught the unthinking TO believe that the
reform which he commended and then aban-
doned must be impracticable. To him belongs
the singular honor OF esta b1shlng an inquisitor-
Sal system of removals upon secret charges by
unknown accusers, without opportunity for de-
fense explanation denial These matters
have not been done by his subordinates merely,
hut they have been brought to his personal
knowledge, and have received his distinct ap-
provAl. and the shortcomings which eighteen
months ago were supposed to be confined TO
Indiana and Maryland are found to exist ali
over the country
In his messages and public acts he now substi-
tutes silence for the promises and professions
which he used to make. and which he has failed
TO carry out He refuses to approve the rule
requiring officials to give reasons for the
moval of subordnates, aud his refusal is nailed
with delight by epoilsmen everywhere. He at
temDts to atone for his failure Sin regard to
ctvil-Servlce reform, matter of principle essen
EaI TO the pSFpetulty OF publlcan institutions,
and to retain the vote OF independents by new
promises. and an avowed devotion to the cause
OF tsTih reform, and hopes 10 induce them to be-
lieve that he who has been upon this vital uues-
a shameless promise-breaker. il deserving of
psrfect confidence in his professed devotion to
this newly-born child of his affection.
But even more clearly have the corruption
and degradation of Democratic politics be made
manifest ia the conduct of our State govern
ment Every man who will vote for the Demo
cratic party will vote to ratify and sustain that
ffnfIo al and mir lor Nv
1t defrauded the people OF Indiana of Senator
justly elected by their suffraRes and attempted
TO deprive half the Republican voters of this
state or theT right to representation. He will
vote to sustain the men who made benevo-
lent institutions the arena of political strife,
and their offices the spells of party triumph.
he becomes political supporter of the system
of butter contracts inangurated by Harrison and
Sullivan; he becomes an approver of every act
OF cruelty and outrage perpetrAted upon the
stricken victims of madness.
The crimes committed in Indiana have not
been the crimes of individuals but they have
become. by ratification and approval, the crimes
committed at the Insane Hospital were clearly
proven; when the evidence taken by the legis
iatve committee and published in tho daily
press showed that the money OF the State was
msappropriated that patients were leased
beaten and matreated by political malefactors:
that unwholesome food was furnished by dis
honest contractors; when these things and a
hundred others of like import demonstrated
by upquestionable evidence, the Democratic
majority IN the investigating committee
of the Senate report that the hospital Is
the best managed institution of the
kind In the world. and every Democrat
In the Senate votes for this report The Demo
cratic minority ia the House committee de
clared the trustees TO be honorable men, and the
Democratic minority vote OF the House sus-
tanned their finding. There is but one difference
from acts like thess-that the Democrats party
az Indiana has. with full knowledge, deliberately
ratified the crimes at the Insane Hospital.
Every man who votes for the party which has
sustained these infamies becomes an approver
of these crimes. / intend 10 do what little in
me lies to press these issues home TO every
voter Ia the State / intend that every detail
of this iniquitous business shall be laid bare in
all It's deformity before the people of INDIANA
and to believe that the Democratic party in this
State can rise again under the weight Of this
crime is TO believe that the people of indiana do
not know the difference between virtue and
vice, honesty and fraud.
But the benevolent institutions were not the
only ones infected. What should be said of the
southern prison3 The barbarous punishmsnts
inflicted at the caprice Of the euards the extor-
tloL Of money TO crafty the avarice OF the
warden, the drunkenness of guards. warden and
pbye1ciauS the yermln, the stencil, the killing
and torturing of prisoners. and the enbezzle-
mont of the funds or the Stateq
The southern prison reeked with such cor
ruption that even the Senate which whita-
washed the Insane Hospital and called upon its
hirelings to assault its lawfully elected presi-
dent could no longer endure the outraged
public sentiment. and Jack Howard, the
warden. was graciously permitted to resign.
Not only have tie great institutions of our
State been debauched and polluted. but the bal
lot-hox itsef-the foundation of ali republican
institEtions-has been attacked This is not
rumor or newspaper statement. 1t Is the solemn
truth, testified to by multitude OF witnesses.
and fonnG by the unanimous verdict OF q Jury.
both of Republicans and Democrats
The crime was not committed by a mere private
individual. but by the authorized representative
OF the Democrats party in the county within
whose limits lies the capital and chief metropo-
lis OF our State. IL was not an act performed up-
on his Individual responsibility alone, bur il was
done with the advice and counivance OF other
leaders OF the Indianapolis Democracy Every
effort 10 bring these miscreants to Justice has
been blocked end derided by Democratic infiu-
enne A grand jury is convened, every Demo
cratic member votes against the indictments aud
the Democratic press denounces the criticisms
made upou them for their shameless efforts to
protect and shelter crime. When one of the
accused IL nc last induced to confess the guilty
net the Sentinel and it's Democratic brethren
pour form upon bis solitary head a vocabulary