The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-03-22
MIR. CURTIS MAKES SOME IM-
PORTANT ADMISSIONS.

Mr.. George William Curtis in the just
issued number of Harper's Weekly in.
dulges is some serious specuatiOns as to
political prospects. While we cannot re-
gard him as the wisest of political
prophets, he holds such personal rela-
ti0ns with a small, but at one time pow
erful. portion of MIR. Cleveland's follow
ing and with the cause of Civil Service
Reform, that some of his Vaccinations
assume special Importance and peculiar
interest. This comes largely from the
fact that his express or implied admis-
sions of facts have all the value of con
fessions or of enforced admission,
For instance, speaking of the voters
whom he still calls independents, and
of their probable attitude toward Mr.
Cleveland, the -Reformer who is now
welding the whole power OF 10000
Federal officers for his re- election, Mr.
Curtis admits what we have all along
been charging that Independents who
are even more strenuous Tariff Reform
ers than Civil Service Reformers' and
who are not disturbed by the fact that
the Presidents interest in Tariff Reform
ID not more strongly expressed now than
his interest in Reform of the Civil Ser
vice was declared at the opening of his
A Administration, would support him
with enthusiasm as the representative
OF Tariff Reform.
This is exactly what we have been
maintaining and what every intelligent
observer of politics knows to be true,
but it ls often desirable, in lawsuits and
in political campaigns, even to have a
witness admit that two and two make
four. But Mr.. Curtis goes further and
indirectly confirms the Republican
charges against President Cleveland
when he says of the Independents, re-
presented by himself. that those who
hold reform IN the civil service to be
the paramount issue, and whose action
would be decided solely by the prospects
of that reform, would be unwilling to
support Mr.. Cleveland because of the
great injury which they hold him to
have done to that cause. They think
that being openly committed to it,
and haying, as they believe. failed to
accomplish what was reasonably to be
expected, his course has greatly preju-
diced the reform by apparently proving
it to be visionary and impractioable.'
lhis class Of independents Mr.. Curtis
thinks have been alienated from Mr.,
Cleveland since they believe him to
have been overpowered by the spoils
pressure Of his party, and utterly dis
trusting it as party from which any
real administrative reform can be ex-
pected, and preferring upon that sub
ject Republican traditions and probable
titles, they would naturally incline, in
the absence Of any now party, toward
any personal unobJectionable Republi-
can candidate
Is harper's Weekly speaking its own
sentiments when it describes the indie
pendents' of this classs This seems the
only fair Interpretation of it's mild, but
conclusive and etfectual statement of
the reasons why the Mugwumps who
are Civil Service Reformers, first, last
and all the time, must regard Mr.. Cleve
land as a traitor to his pledges, as de
serter from the camp of the Reform of
which Mr., Curtis is chief apostle. and
as full tledged and unqualified 'Spoils-
Democrat
But the indirect testimony Of Mr.. Cur
tis is still more important when he
charges that the Mugwumps who are
chiefly Free Traders have stuck to Mr.
Cleveland because of his Free Trade
Message, sacrificing all there was of
their Civil Service Reform convictions,
Thus he emphasizes the justice of the
Republican contention that the para
mount issue 10 that between Protection
and Free Trade, This marks new stage
IN the opening campaign,