The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-08-24
A Striking Contrast.

Inc pennsylvania RepuDllcanS De-
gan their warm approval of the Ad-
ministration of President Harrison in
these words:
We cordially indorse the Admins
tration of President BENJAMIN Har-
risOn, because it steadily devotes
itself to the work of broad and intel
ligent administration by competent
and trusty officials, and makes its
rule of inhexible duty the faithful
observance, not the hypocritical eyas-
ion. of the public statutes.
This tribute to the character of the
appointments made under the pres
ent Administration is we'll deserved,
In fact, it is only when we see how
few of the selections made are sue
cessfully criticised that we realize
with what care the work has been
performed. The election of General
Harrison made necessary a large
number of emovals, was. indeed a
call for them. A great many incom-
petent, worthless men had been APP
pointed under President Cleveland,
whom it was necessary to remove if
the public service was to be restored
to its old efficiency. This work has
been going on with more or less rap
idity during the five months since
the Inauguration, but there have
been so few mistakes that the oppo-
sition newspapers have had to play
continually on a harp of half dozen
strings to keep up any noise at all.
The readers of the Mugwump pa
pers will bear us witness that a few
appointments. of small importance,
and to the number. perhaps, of six
or Whereabouts. have furnished their
whole stock in trade of complaints
on this head against the Administra-
ton. The charges against these have
been reiterated, even to the point
where the Mugwump papers them
selves grew weary, for they seemed
to have dropped them. Once in a
while. to be sure, there is a brief re.
vlval, as when The Evening Post the
other day withdrew the charges it
made against the postmaster at Will
son, N. Y, being asserted by Dem.
ocratic paper, The Buffalo Courier.
that they were technical and mallc-
lous, and that the postmaster was a
man OF good character. Thousands
of appointments to Office have been
made since the change of Admins.
tration, and ke proportion of
them. no doubt, necessarily made.
and yet the number of new men
against whom any objection can be
brought is so small that the opposi-
ton are left almost without ammu-
milton, This is a remarkable record.
Is it necessary to recall the record
OF the Cleveland Administration in
this respect? The Tribune published
it in full some three years after Mr..
Cleveland had been in Office. and the
accuracy of its showing, except in a
solitary instance, was never ques.
toned. Leaving out of considera-
ton appointments to which objec.
ton was made simply on fitness, The
Tribune found that 1877 downright
criminals had been appointed to
office, not including in this list men
guilty of political crimes, of whom
there were %; and that SO persons
directly connected with the criminal
classes had also received appoint
ments, making total of 200 persons
of this stripe who had succeeded in
getting places under the Democratic
Administration. We shall not re-.
hearse the list. It was dreary cata-
logue, and not one likely to crafty
the patriotic pride of any American.
But when the present Aoministra-
ton is being so persistentiy assailed
for making changes, many of which
were rendered absolutely necessary
by the disgraceful appointments un.
der Mr.. CleYeland, it will do no harm