Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-01-10
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me Pressdenf- Elect aaa The DaneultieI
He WAl Have - Hest.
In his letter Of asceptance Harrison
recognized and pledged himself to re-
sist the spoils appetite Of his party.
.. know" he said, a. the. practical
difficulties attending the attempt TO
apply the Civil-Service rules to all ap-
pointments and removals. It win.
however. be my sincere purpose. il
elected. to advance the reform"
This, with more to the same effect,
was said in Endorsement of a platform
pledged not to make appointments
and removals on partisan grounds,
and the Indianapolis Journal is now
warning Republicans that they must
:" cordially recognize" his position on
the subject These expressions it
says. construed together, show the
extent to which the Republican party
is pledged not only to an observance
of the Civil-Service law, but of the
idea and principles on which it rests.
viz: to give stability and efficiency
to the civil service by progressive
abolition of the spoils system and .
substitution of higher rule of ac-
ton"
This language appears in paper
which upheld Dudley's frauds and
which speaks for the beneficiary of
them. No one therefore need take it
for more than it is worth.
Whatever Harrison's intentions may
be, there are certain facts he must
recognize and begoverned by. One OF
these is that the Democratic Admins
tration has faithfully enforced the
Pendleton law; that the civil service
as far as the law extends is now both
non-partisan and efficient The Demo-
cratic party favored the system tor all
Offices which do not require Demo-
cratic principles for their proper adj
ministration. The Republican poll
ticians now demand that these Offices
shall be vacated to make room for
them They want to see every man
who has served under Democratic
Administration turned out. without
any regard whatever to his politics,
That is their idea of non-partisanship,
and ''a progressive abolition of the
spoils system. !" They want the Offices
There are many reasons why they
should not have them. The Civil
Service law and the precedents estab-
lished under it by President Cleveland
are strong reasons, and they must
have some weight with Harrison. but
| his knowledge of the character of the
politicians who are applying to him
for Office ought to have more weight
He has seen them at work in Indiana
and other States. He knows that as a
rule they are both dishonest and indie
| cent, entirely unfit for any Office or
| trust. Doubtless he would prefer not
to appoint them. He has some family
pride and some regard for the names
| of honored ancestors who are dis
graced by his present associations
with the Quays. the Dudleys, the
Blaines and the Fords He has sense
enough to know that he can not re-
ward the fine-workers from the public
treasury and pretend that he is moved
to do it by high-minded patriotism
He has been shaking hands with the
tough element of his party at a great
sacrifice of his own feelings. and he
would like now, no doubt, to put on
his gloves again. But he knows just as
we'll that these short-haired gentry
handled the s'bloclzs of five" that
elected him; he knows they have an
| uncomfortable appetite. and that if he's
does not surrender to them he will
have no chance for denomination.
As soon as he is sworn in he will
have the mob around him, and it will
| laugh at his pledges. It will be an in
teresting situation.-SE Louis Re-
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