Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-11-24

the obese and the in6rm OF the demo-
cratic party Many of them confessed
that they were incompetent, by retaining
republican officials under them, whom
they claimed it was impossible to do
without 1t had always seemed to me
that there was intel ect enough in the
democratic party 10 fill the offices, if it
had an opportunity 10 assert itself The
men who had the dispensing of patronage
thought differently, aud acted according
to their thoughts. These politicians were
no doubt wise, for the Old hungry lank
bellied democrats hal'ooed for them and |
for Grover Cleveland, aud voted the /
whole ticket, while the self contented |
office holders let their republican UNDER
lings become Offensive partisaps.' while
they carried out civil service reform by |
suckiag away at the test and only grunt- |
ing when they couldn't suck any more.
As the Times has frequently remarked
in the language of Judge Jewell: "Poli- |
tics is hell" There is now no use to dis>
guise the fact. Good brethren, like cur
venerable and pious brother Wheat of
Louisville, will discourse to you by the
hour about the purity of the ballot-box,
and crying evil of fraud and bribery in
elections While | am satisfied that all
the money used BY brother Wheat in the
late election went for legitimate expenses
such as informing the voter. by Sunday
school tracts how free whisky conduced
| to temperance and morRlitY-yet there
are men who, outw4rdly, are as pious as
brother Wheal md vet would suffer some
portion of the large funds in their hands
to be sed for brihing voters. These men
advocate civil service reform. They be-
iieve that every republican offcehoder
shol'. be maintained if he contributes
his share towards the corruption fund of
that party; and every democrat should
be turned out who contributes 10 his
party, In this opinion the present demo
cratic administration ana its undellings
seem to have most heartily agreed. 1t is
very fine civil service reform, but to me
it cuts the wrong way.
We have in this city red haired
Frenchmau from Cork, or thereabouts,
who knows 6 good deal about politics.
When the democrats were given the fed
era! offices about here, after Mr.. Cleve>
lands Inauguration, he had occasion to
transact business in one OF these places,
and much to his surprise found the same
republican deputy in charge. With much
indignation he told about it afterwards to
circle of listening friends, and wound
up by saving: "Bedad now, byes, that
is too bad Why its agin sivil sarvice
refarm" And it was right,
am civil service reformer nv own
self, and | have ne doubt Mr.. Harrison is
one of the same sort. He will make
every democratic Otticeholder in the fed,
eral service wax the plank, and pat re-
publican IN his place. The republican
deputies who have held their places dur
ing this administration, who have eyerted
their energies against the party which
gave them bread and butter, will he
maintained, they are now the most jubi-
liant of offensive partisans; what they
have been waiting for and hoping for has
come to pass, and they are the most exu-
berant in their rejoicings l; woulda't
be q bad idea to turn all of them out
now, and give Mr. Harrison chance to
fill all the offices with fresh men when he
comes in. AS it is he will have remark,
bly, few changes to make Ii he had all
the places at his disposal be would make
that many more people mad because he
failed to give them offices And they
would knife him At the time of this
writing it looks like everything goes; The
tail goes with the hide, and not even The
horns and offal are left for the poor
Well. so be tiff it must be. NV notion
is that if the republican party is to com,
INTO power once more, it is best that i
should have the whole body polite TO
: work upon. Then the result will be suct
as it produces, and any errors or mis-
T takes will be ch4rgeaole TO it alone
There will be no divided responsibility
and each tub will stand upou its OWL
bottom. In this fight the democrats hav'
had the best of the argument and app4r
, emily the most of the Enthusiasm Tina
5 the power of the administration was no.
: behind them is due to their mistaken
ideas Of civil service reform Every offlc
g holder turned out and moved heaven an
= earth against them. Everyone retained
= did the same, and had his pay as a cor
c ruption fund to do it with When tn
u ticket is made up four years from now
| will be Hill and GRAY, and the democrat
q will have no more to fight against thai
e they have had in this contest After tina
2 election is over the seat of Mr. Harrison
J pantaloons will drag against the exuber
ant dock weeds which will have grow
d in the meantime in the backyard of hi
$ Indianapolis residence. For the demo
e cratic party is not dead It has taste,
e flesh for little while; md though drive
y away ow, it will come back like vol
It flied with with Az aching vacuum and
+ sublime hunger, to fevour the republica
IS coon And with it, if he lives, will b
N the FALCON.
ar