The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1889-07-11
The American And It's Critics.


criminals and jailbirds have been ap.
pointed to fill the places Of bounced"
Democratic postmasters by saying
the statement is false and made with
out the slightest evidence. Another
sneeringly remarks that The Ameri-
can has become great friend OF civil
service reform since Harrison's elec-
tion. Yet another is OF the opinion
that The American is so filled with
impotent rage at seeing the offices 60
out Of the hands OF Democratic poll
ticians that it resorts to all manner of
malicious falsehoods. The American
has made no statement in regard to
civil service policy of the present Ad-
ministration at Washington which is
not the truth. The first mentioned of
our esteemed contemporaries has not
keptu up with the news OF the day if
he does not know that a Republican
was made postmaster at Shusant, N.
| Y, who had been indicted for burglary
and felonious assault upon woman,
and who escaped by the payment of
$50 and the plea that he was too
drunk to be responsible for his con-
duct. So also he seems not to know
| OF the appointment Of man who had
} served term in Missouri peniten.
tiary, nor Of another who had been
conyiCted of keeping a disorderly
house. Our contemporary should keep
tab awhile ON Republican rascalities
before losing its temper when they are
, casually mentioned.
The sneer about The American hav-
ing become Jealous for civil service re-
form is altogether beside the question.
The American has always favored
honest civil service reform such as
would lift the civil service above the
low level of mere party spoils. 1t has
always believed that the Offices should
not be regarded merely as means of
paying disreputable politicians the
price OF their dirty work. But as we
have said, this is beside the question.
'sIOur criticisms of the civil service pol
! icy OF this administration is not based
upon any theory OF our own, but upon
the pledges of Ben Harrison himself.
We have not measured the adminis-
tration by any standard we have sci
but by the standard which the
President has set up. We have com
olpared promise with performance, and
have shown that while no President
= evel made such distinct and unequiv-
local pledges to eliminate partisan con-
siderations from appointments in the
=, Icivil service, none ever prostituted the
civil service to the spoils system more
lcompletely than he. "Only the inter
est OF the public service should suggest
:, removals from Office" Mr.. Harrison
declared in his letter of acceptance
= and the Republican platform with su
y perior self-righteousness declared that
. he -wonld not be false to his pledges
!" because Mr.. Cleveland had been false
TO his. When ne was in the Senate
" Mr.. Harrison lifted eyes and hands
' piously to heaven and prayed that Mr.
% Cleveland might be succeeded by (
President who would discharge no MAI
without giving him an opportunity tC
- hear and repel the charges mad,
= against him or else by one who would
: boldly and brutally avow that to tn
~ victors belong the spoils. We hav
compared these utterances with tn
g :, record of the administration. Me-
: have been removed by wholesale with
- out cause, except to find places for Re
:" publicans, and naen have heen RI
moved upon charges, or pretende
charges, which neither the remove
official nor the public have been pei
Ky mitted to hear Senator Harrison
he prayer might be answered we're it nc
tn for President Harrison. Mr.. Harr
sons subordinates, knowing his re-
to policy, have not sought to conce,
on their feelings or the purpose ef I'll
ais administration. They have not di
he guised the fact that the Offices a
wanted for the Republican "hoi
nd blower" the ability to blow RepubI
its can horn being regarded as the sure
its test OF fitness for public Office.
yes This has been our criticism upC
NIL the administration. We have N
YER complained that the President has r
ny. moved men for merely partisan re
90, sons, but that he has done so aft
err making distinct pledges to pursue Il
contrary policy. Mr.. Harrison wing
a lofty flight into a purer atmosphe
in his ante. election promises and h
stopped to the lowest depths in his a
re- ministration. He promised one thil
the in order to obtain power to do anoth
the and the opposite thing. While saili
lily around in the high atmosphere Of
lie. non-partisan civil service he had !
rho eye upon the earth instead Of the 81
18th He is not unlike that bird OF not We
yor rare piumage which rises in midi