New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-22

MR. CLEYELAND IND THE "SPOILS."
The sincerity of Mr.. Cleveands solcitude
lest the meaning of t'e recent election should
be misunderstood and the Democratic victory
taken as a signal simply for an onslaught upon
the spoils Of Office which it has brought III
sight. cannot be doubted He has taken pains
TO give it expression with something like
emphasis on the two occasions upon which he
has appeared before the public since the cleo
ton. 1t is evidently genuine. From the prom
nence he has given to the subject in these
bIbic utterances il is manifest that he antici-
mates trouble in the distribution of tho Offices
which will be at his disposal after the 4th of
March. This is not to be wondered at. He
knows or ought to know, by this time the
disposition OF the party that elected him It's
animatng purpose and ruling motive. lie need
not have profound insight or sagaclty to divine
what thoughts are uppermost in the minds OF
the men who have been most active and in
huental in bringing about the result the men
who daily surround him and thrust themselves
upon him; some of whom were present upon
both the occasions referred to. His instructive
knowledge of the uppermoSt thoughts CT these
leaders was doubtless sharpened somewhat by
his experience of eight years ago. lie knows
something of what Democratic victory means
to the men who win it. Tie knows what
tidal wave Of Democrats he will have TO stand
up against next March, and it Is not strange
that he should lift up imploring hands and
saw with almost an agony OF caIneStneSS
I" No. no it does not mean that"
But the cold and comfortesS fact is that
to ninety-nne of every hundred Of Mr. Cleye-
lands supporters it does mean that, and pre-
cisely that. and to most OF them nothing but
that Not that so large proportion as ninety
nine-one-hundredth actually expect themselves
to profit directly by the victory in the dlStrlbu-
ton of the spoils, but the proportion OF OK
pectants is very, very large and all of them
understand that sweeping removals from Office
will be made; that practically the entire per-
sonnet of the Civil Service will be changed
within a few months after Mr. Cleveland's
inauguration 1t is the universal expectation
And we may be permitted to say that though
we ourselves, looking at the situation from an
entirely disinterested point OF view, and taking
into consideration the natural feeling of horror
which Mr. Cleveland must have az the onslaught
which will be made OH him, give him credit
for sincerity in his utteranccs, wo suspect that
his own supporters are very far from taking
him at his word. Should he act upon his ex
pressed view of the meaning of the election;
that is, that it does not mean redistribution OF
all the offices within reach, and a consequent
mad scramble for spoils, he must know that
not only would there be general dsappont-
ment, but a universal howl of rage and indig-
nation. From all over the land from every
village grocery where for the next three
months local statesmen will sit on cracker
barrels discussing the burning question,
"Who's going to have the postoffice?" the
cry of Flanagan of Flanagans Mills will go
up in mortal anguish: "What are we here
for?"
Mr. Cleyelands solictude is perfectly natural
and undoubtedly sincere Being secure in his
own place, he breads the encounter with
wranging crowd of place-seellcrs, few of whom
he can satisfy and most of whom he must dis
please. But the majority against him is enor-
nous, and he may as well make up his mind
TO tackle at once his ungracious and migrate
full task. lie will have to meet in March the
largest and most camoouS army of Office
seekers that ever made life burden to an in
coming President. They will not take no
for an answer so long as there's Republican
name on a Government payroll. He may not
think that that's the meaning of the election,
but they do, and they will make it mean 50
right off or there'n be trouble Meantime. if
he desires to promote hilarty at the gatherings
called TO do him honor he will do well to avoid
| further allusion to the "license to rovcl in
partisan spoils." We commend to him the
! example of the colorcd preacher who, having
delivered powerful sermon on chicken steal
ing remarked that he should not do il again as
:" it seemed to cast a sort of gloom over the
congregation"