The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1888-10-13
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
President Cleveland's Energetic Attacks
on the Spoils System.

FTe8lOenL OievflandS
ON the Spells System.
President Cleveland's message on
Civil-Service reform is particularly
gratifying in showing the material
progress made in that direction, In
spite of many discouraging obstacles. 1t
has taken very long time to impress
upon the public mind the manifold adj
vantages of the reform and the necessity
of such an efficient check to the iniquit-
Gus spoils system, but it has taken
root at last, and can not be eradicated
from the civil service without destroy
ing the party that would attempt to
upreot it. At. every step OF the con-
siderable extent of territory travelled
over by this reform in the past three
years or more are evidences of the zeal
and vigilance of the Administration.
On no subject has President Cleve-
land been more enthusiastic and ear
nest than on this reform of the civil
service, for he has had abundant ex-
perience to convince him of the iniqui-
ty and danger of the spoils system.
He has seen every branch of the Gov
eminent honeycombed with corruption
when he first took hold of the reins OF
administration, and men, utterly des-
titute of the most essential qualities
for the offices they hold. living on the
Government because they were useful
ut election time. He has seen the
"heeler" and the worker at the polls,
the men who did the dirty work for
the Republican leaders, rewarded with
offices, of the first duties OF which they
were profoundly ignorant.
Those relics of Republican malad-
ministration gave Mr.. Cleveland and
the heads of the departments more
| trouble than all the office-seekers in
Washington, for an office-seeker could
be held at bay, while the incompe-
tence and treachery of the Republican
barnacles that chung TO the offices they
had received as reward of partisan
| service, were calculated to work con-
siderable harm to the good name OF the
Democratic government. MIR. Cleve-
land determined to make the civil
service a monument of the reform
character of his party, and to throw Il
open to healthful competitor instead O.
keeping it, as his predecessors did, a.
reward for party service. He SCI
about the work diligently and perse
veringly, making the examination
eminently practical, instituting promo
ton and banishing favoritism. To hin
the country owes the boon OF civi
service conducted on the principle
that exist in every well-regulated pr
vate business establishment.
In no other respect has he been s.
violently assailed by the enemies
Democracy. The removal, for cause
of each Republican henchman, VIII
wore the collar of the boss, who pro
cured his appointment before 1885, wa
followed by grievous howl from tn
aforesaid boss and his subsidized OF
gans. The Republican press SCENE
to unite in the declaration that n
Democrat had any right to Office unde
the Government, no matter what n
: standing on the Civil-Service Commi
l sion might be. Mr.. Cleveland hs
r steadily carried out to the best OF h
: power his intention of making tt
t Civil-Service something for his par
$ and the country to be proud of, az
: not all the lies of Mr.. Whitelaw Re
(; and the rest of the yelping pack ca
d rob him of the gratitude and esteem
the American people for inauguratil
r such a grand reform. During the fo1
$ years of his second administration
Il will be enabled to complete the go'
; work and stamp cut forever the spo
: system.-AIbany On ~ Argus.