The Press., 1888-12-06
(N. Y. Independently HARRISON,S RESPONSIBILITIES.

General Harrison faces great responsi- bilities, but great responsibilities are great opportunities. His first opportunity will be in the selection of his cabinet. He may gather round him such advisers as will help to make his administration strong and efficient or such as will weaken his hands and be a burden to his administra- tion. As he made no pledges before elec- tion, he owes no political debts {; as he owes no political debts he need not feel obliged to pay political claims. His im- perative obligations are to the people whom he is to govern. His cabinet, his foreign ministers and those upon whom he de- pends to see that his policy is faithfully carried out, must of course, be of his own political faith and be in cordial sympathy with his general purpose, but he is per fectly free to take the best his party af- lords for these positions, and If he does 80, as we believe he will, the people will be well satisfied.
 His second opportunity will be in the character he may give to the civil service. There will, undoubtedly, be pressure from party politicians like Senator Ingalls for a partition of the offices. But he will have much more encouragement in resisting this pressure than Mir. Cleveland has had. The democratic party does not believe in civil service reform, the republican party does. General Harrison will be cordially sup ported not only by the best and dominant element in his own party, but by inde- pendent voters and by the best though not the controlling element in the democratic party.
 There are many thousand democrats in office. Senator Ingalls, says turn them all out immediately. That would a greater farce than that of the Cleveland adminis- tration. It would be a shameless surrender to the claims of low politicians, and the people would turn in disgust from such an administration. No democrat should be turned out of a clerkship or a post-office or any other subordinate position because he is a democrat. No republican should be appointed simply because he is a republi- can. Inefficient incumbents, whether dem ocrats or republicans, should be discharged inefficient applicants, whether republican or democrat, should be rejected. This is the rule we wish to see adopted by the in- coming administration. Here is a great opportunity for General Harrison, and we have no doubt he sees and will seize it.
 Upon these two points-the kind of ad- visers President Harrison shall select and the character he shall give the civil service -dePends largely the success of his ad- ministration and the continued prosperity of the country. Congress will catch the tone of his administration, if it is clear and high, and public sentiment itself will be strengthened by it. The presidential bark will not always be in smooth seas but if wisely managed it will certainly escape the rocks on which the present administration has been wrecked. The future of the re. publican party is in It's own hands. It will be made or marred by what is done during the coming four years Its. continued ascendancy will depend upon its its con- duct. If it desires power it must show itself worthy of power.