The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-08-22
Roosevelt's Report.

Commissioner Roosevelt, of the Civil Ser
vice, has Just made his report on his investi-
cations of the manner of conducting Repub-
lican primaries on March 30th last in Bati-
more, and the part taken therein by Federal
officials The report shows that bribery
and pudding tickets played an important
part; that fights were frequent, arrests for
disorderly conduct numerous, and fraud pre-
dominated. Mr.. Roosevelt criticises severely
the conduct of Federal officials, but only the
subordinates, two of whom he recommends
be dismissed from office, particularly suffer.
The heads are censured TO some extent, but
their removal was not recommended, when 1t
is fact that the subordinates would not have
submitted to political assessments nor taken
such an active part in the primaries had the
heads objected.
The report, as has been said, was no doubt
written by Charles Bonaparte and John c.
Rose. While desiring to rebuke Federal
interference in politics, they went out Of their
way to reflect upon the administration of
Postmaster Brown, and declared, in extern
uation of Johnson's conduct, that Mr. Brown
left the Office in a demoraliZed state. This
statement is untrue, and probably would not
have been made had Mr.. Brown not been the
Democratic nominee for Governor. Mr..
Brown made an efficient postmaster and
greatly improved the service. He had been
out of the office for year before the primaries
were held, and in the meantime johnson,
who was the result of Philadelphia influence
rather than that of Baltimore Republicans,
had changed every appointee in the unclas-
sifed service and half Of the classified. 1t
would have been as pertinent to the inquiry
concerning the conduct of the Republican
primaries to have reviewed the administration
of the postoffice ten years ago as TO have
brought Mr. Browns administration into it,
and nothing but bitter and extreme partisan
ship and hypocrisy prompted it. Bonaparte
and Rose both pose as purists, but neither
count for much in Maryland politics. Both
are pestiferous, and neither would be heard
of except that they thrust themselves into
public notice.
There is no doubt that fraud and bribery
characterized the Republican primaries last
March, and they have characterized every
Republican primary there for twenty years
past. Still, we have not heard of Bonaparte
or Rose refusing to 60 on the stump or de
clining to support tickets that were nominated
through corrupt methods, and the people of
Maryland will not pay much heed to their
latter. day purity. Mr.. Roosevelt himself
knows something of Just such practical poll
ties as prevailed in Baltimore, and he is more
of a disappointed politician than political
saint. Concerning Mr.. Roosevelts recon-
mendations of dismissal from Office of two
subordinates, the New York World peril
nently remarks:
Mr.. Roosevelt must know perfectly that the
present administration could not carry out
his Recommendations without stultifying itself
and inviting condemnation. He knows that
Mr.. Harrison's professions, pledges and
solemn assurances of regard for civil service
reform have been swept out of sight by Mr..
Harrison conduct. He knows that Clarkson
was put into the Postoffice Department for
no other purpose than to sweep every vestige
OF reform out of it, and to organize an army
of Harrison postmasters TO control primaries,
elect delegates and secure Mr.. Harrison's re-
nomination. He knows that the custom house
in this city has been as openly prostituted to
the same partisan and personal service as it
was in the days of Tom Murphy, when Ter
williger executed the orders of K. d. Web
ster. He knows that Mr.. Harrison has farmed
out the Federal patronage of this state to Tom
Plat, and that Of other states to other spoils
men, in defiant contempt of every principle
of reform. What, then, does Mr.. Roosevelt
mean? He cannot hope that his inyestiga-
tons, reports and recommendations will bear
fruit. He cannot suppose that the admins
tration desires other conduct on the part of
its ofiiceholders than that which he has ex-
posed. He has too much sense for that. Is
he simply nagging the President? Or is he
lending himself to an attempt to hoodwink
the public AS to Mr.. Harrison fragrant breach
of faith with the people on this subject?