The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-03-12
COMMENT AND OPINION.

WHILE acting in strict accord with the
principles of civil-service reform, it is safe
to Say that the new administration will not
permit public interests to suffer by retain
ing In Office Democratic officials who have
shown their incOmpetency unworthiness
for the places they now hold.-IOwa State
Register.
CITIZENSHIP in this country has become
altogether too cheap, and those who ask
for it should be made to understand that it
is something of value, not to he lightly ac-
Quired as means of individual profit and
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, through criminal collu-
sion when otherwise unattainable.-TrOy
IN. ~ Times.
of competent Republicans to fill all the
vacancies in the public service. They are
not running around with pc titiOnS in their
pockets, but are probably attending to
their business. They are not seeking to
puff themselves into notice through the
columns Of misrepresentation York Press.
GENERAL HARRISON has been elected
President because he was trusted as fit
exponent of the principles of the Repub-
lican party. Those who hold that the con-
test was simply waged for spoils forget that
IN thus holding they sheer at the principles
of their party, and trample its platform
and its pledges under foOt.-Albany Jour
nal.
IT is fortunate that the railway mail
service need not be brought under the civil
service rules until the political strikers and
incompetents appointed in the last days
of the Cleveland administration have been
gotten rid of. 1t would have been blow
to civil-service reform if it could have been
invoked to burden the service with these
bunglers.-BOstOn Journal.
THE ballot-bOx is that upon which the
Republic rests. and this corrupted, the
whole system of free government totters
ready to fall. The purity of the ballot is
the life or the Republic, and those who
SCOT at and ridicule this sentiment and
lend their aid to the corruption of the bal
lot, aim death blow at the American sys-
tenn of Observation-Disclosures State
Journal.
THERE is such thing as an unreasOna-
BILE tariff. The Republicans have recog-
nized this by. reductions and by enlarge
ments of the free list. 1t only needs to be
clearly understood that the popular verdict
was against free trade and not against ia
riff reduction, and not in favor of an un-
limited tariff. in order to put the tariff leg
islatiOn on proper footing
Sentinel.
In whatever branch of government the
inquiry is made, opportunities are present
ed either by the growth OF the country or
|. the neglect or incapacity of the late admin
istratiOn, which present both grave re-
SpOnsibilitieS and enormous possibilities to
President Harrison and his Cabinet 1t is
Republican opportunity and we may expect
the responsibility to be wOrthily met.-New
York Graphic.
CONGRESS did not keep the pledges of the
Democratic party; but il would have been
worse if it had attempted to keep them and
succeeded. Its record is wind and that is the
best Democratic House could hope to make.
| Taken all together, it is unjust to give Mr..
| Cleveland all the credit and honor that at
| tach to the overthrow of the national DEM
ocratic party. The Fiftieth Congress. par
| ticularly the House, is entitled to liberal
| share of the honOrs.-Minneapolis Tribune.
WITH considerable surplus in the Treas
ury, we have maintained war navy one
| sixth less numerous LII vessels than that
| of France and hardly greater than that OF
| Italy, albeit we have such a range of sea-
board to defend as is possessed by no other
| nation. The events in Samoa will not
| have happened in vain if they move us to
| prudent Hberality and activity in apprO.
| priations for and construction of war YES
| sells and coast defenses.-Chicago Inter
Ocean.
THE sentiment of the American people
| is for peaceful arbitration of the Difficult.
! ties which have arisen out of the Samoan
middle, but if Germany forces an issue OF
| arms by opening up fire on American YES
sells, and by sanguinary violation of the
peaceful relations which this country seeks
| to cultivate with all of the nations of the
| globe, she will find a foe worthy of heI
| steel, and that the American people are az
| valOrOus in war as they are magnanimous
| in peace.-Kansas City Star.