Los Angeles herald., 1892-06-13
The Federal Brigade.
[Los Angeles Times, June 12. I

One feature of the Republican ma
tional convention which has just closed
its labors at Minneapolis is likely to
prove good lesson to the Republican
party and the people generally. Unfor-
tunately, this lesson, while in itself
good, is inculcated by . bad example.
We refer to the tendency which there
cropped out in marked degree to stock
the convention with federal fHceholders.
Quoting the words of our special cores
pondent at Minneapolis, "the ia Office
holders on the floor of the convention,
most of them from states hopelessly
Democratic, made a sufficient majority
to carry Harrison through on the first
ballot, and thus was the die cast. The
power of pap has for the first time in
American politics nominated president
OF the United States."
The noticeably large number of fed
eral oficeholders on the floor of the
convention and the fact that they held
together like band of brothers for the
same object-the perpetuation of the
present administration-was the occa-
sion for several caustic outbursts in the
offense was 60 fragrant as to call forth
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what must we expect from the country
at large, which is disposed to look upon
parties and party methods with criti-
cal eyer
Such things cannot be covered up,
and it is not for the good OF the party or
of the country that they should be.
In the United States there are 100, 900
federal office holders, more or less.
Held together by the cohesive power OF
eelf-interest, they form a political or
ganization whose power, if unrestricted,
threatens not only the autonomy of
parties, but the very existence OF our
system of government The American
people look with jealous eye upon the
organized and instructed movements of
the federal brigade. The tendency
toward "machine' and "boss" rule in
party management is sufficiently mis-
chievous without giving it any more
latitude. When the prospect is pre-
sented of o gigantic machine of trained
and organized politicians extending to
every crossroads in the country-all ita
members under pay of the government
all willing and able to contribute funds
for campaign purposes-all ready to de-
vote their best energies and to enlist
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a monstrous power for evil is here at
hand. No wonder the American people
look upon such an organization with q
jealous eye. No wonder that far. seeing
and patriotic citizens in all parties have
sounded the alarm.
The people of the United States de-
mand that we shall not drift one step
nearer to that condition of affairs which
constitutes the bureaucracy OF European
nations, which makes possible in the
quasi-republican states of Central and
South America recurring dictatorship
with every administration. We propose
to stop long way this side OF Balma-
ceda government in the United States.
The people will look with some in
credulity upon pro forma declaration
in favor OF civil service reform when
they realize that the declaration was
made by convention ip which every
eighth man was a federal oficeholder.
When they think that, by the skillful
manipulation of this force, an admins
tration was enabled to put itself in the
way of another four years. lease of
power-when they read that the presi-
dent managed his own campaign, issuing
orders by means of private wire from
the White House to the convention hall
they will be apt to laugh the civil
service declaration to gcorn.