Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-06-24
THE VITAL VALUE OF CIVIL SER
VICE TO THE SOUTH.


1t is a custom for many thoughtless men
in the Democratic party to look lightly at
Civil Service, as something that no Demo
crat-no ROBUST 'svirile," ''stalwart'
Democrat, as they say, should tolerate. 1t
is a custom that also finds patrons in some
Democrats who are not thoughtless, who
ought to be superior to such utterances,
but who are willing from personal interest
to tickle the ears of the groundlings with
denunciations of the system. Let us see
for moment Of what inestimable value to
the South civil service would be if fully and
effectively carried out. President Harli-
son, an advocate OF the Force Bill, has
lust been nominated for another term by
the office holders he appointed during his
first term. This is no statement from guess
work. Senator Wolcott in his speech nom
mating Blame, said there were 100 office
holders members OF the convention sup
porting Harrison, and from 1000 to 5000
other Office holders who ought to he at theil
posts of duty, were in the galleries OF the
convention and the hotels lobbying and
cheering for him. Since that convention
adjourned, Senator WOlcott has revised his
statement and now claims that there were
tion and that their annual salaries aggre-
gate from half million to three quarters
of million dollars His statement is con-
firmed 10y J. S. Clarkson of Iowa, who
knows probably as much about Federal
Office holders and their political work as
any Republican in the country. What has
the South to do with the presence of these
Office holders there and how were its inter
est affected by it? There were two real
candidates before that convention, Benja-
min Harrison and James G.. Blaine, the
one an advocate of the Force Bill, the 9th
er an opponent. Owing to the presence OF
600 Federal Office holders receiving three
quarters of a million dollars IN salaries OF
the peoples money, the Force Bill advocate
received the nomination, and now for the
next five months the Southern States will
be kept fighting for their lives to prevent
his election and the Inauguration OF a polit-
ical scheme which would bring rioting and
bloodshed and set those States back
twenty years in progress and prosperity.
To continue their employer in power and
themselves in office, the office holders went
to the convention; to capture the votes of
the Negro delegates from the far South
those otiice-holding delegates promised the
Force Bill, and that is the brief history OF
the controlling reasons that make a great
party adopt an issue that is loaded with
great peril to the peace Of the country.
Under a proper execution of Civil Service
those Office holders could have had no place
in that convention, no Force Bill candidate
would be in the field, and the campaign
about to begin between the two politica
parties would not have Leen one in which
the South would be fighting literally fol
life, with a prospect of ruin in case of fail
ure. No thinking Democrat in the South
ern States. who will for moment give the
subject intelligent consideration. will fai
to see that for his section, above all othel
sections of his country, Civil Service is a
vital necessity.
Nopolicy of that distinguished American
Grover Cleveland, while in the Presidentia
chair, showed the foresight of statesman
ship more than his sturdy maintenance O.
that patriotic reform.