The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-04-12
60 Democratic Principle"

Great is mugwumpery and edifying
are the utterances of its prophets. Here
are some of the later teachings of its
great high priest, the editor of Harper's
Weekly. AS usual, civil-service reform
is the subject of his discourse:
If we may depend upon what we hear
from Washington, President Cleveland has
set out to do what Mr.. Harrison promised to
do but did not do-that is, to apply the fun
damental principle OF civil.service reform
not only to the classified service covered by
the civil service law and the rules made un-
der 1t, but to every branch Of the service,
including the so. called presidential appoint
ments He is reported to have said to an
ofiice.seeker who reminded him OF his cam
paign work: ave should not talk Of what
we have done for the party, but OF what we
can do in the future The people do not
ask me what / have done, but what l am
going to do" The country has heard with
genuine satisfaction of the openly avowed
determination of Mr.. Herbert, the new sec
rotary of the navy, that the civil-service
rules established in the navy-yards by his
predecessor will be strictly adhered to.
The new postmaster-general, Mr.. Bissell is
credited with utterances OF the same tend
ency, and this Is especially welcome, since
| the postal department, with its immense pat
ronage, has hitherto been the theater OF the
greatest scandals of the spoils system.
| That democratic office-hunters hot In the
pursuit of plumber should hear such declara-
tions with dismay, and denounce them in
dignantly as rank heresy or morbid senti-
mentalism, is indeed not surprising. The
democratic spoils-hunter is in this respect
not different from his brother on the repub-
lican side. But the young democracy, Of
which Mr.. Cleveland is the representative
and leader, is gradually recognizing the
fact that the principle underlying civil-ser-
vice reform is in the truest sense Of the
word democratic principle.
The " fundamental principle of civil
service reform is being applied with
pious JUNCTION by Assistant Maxwell Of
"the postal department, with its i'm
mense patronage which has hitherto
been the theater of the greatest scan
dals of the spoils SYSTEM" and still is
out to do what Mr.. Harrison promised
to do but did not do" Here in Yer
mont the hair of the democratic hunter
for irst-class postmasterships is indeed
standing on end with fright and dis
may" produced by the utterances Of
the president and his postmaster gen
eral. Every mail from Washington
brings to fourth-class postmasters evi
dence of the truth of the mugwumI
high priests declaration that under Mr.
Cleveland "the principle underlying
civil-service reform is, in the trues
sense of the word, democratic re
form" There is fine irony in the hig}
priests words.
Well, Vermont is safe ground for the
dis play of the real democratic instinct
Here the administration has nothing Il
gain by hypocrisy and nothing to LOSE
by tearing OFF the mask. Here thu
democratic doctrine that to the victor
belong the spoils" may have fret
course and be glorified. The gutter
may run full to the brim with the gor,
of slaughtered ofiice-holders, for thu
state is republican beyond the utmos
power of the Establishments of execu
tive patronage. In Massachusetts ant
in spots in New York, and at other con
spicuous points where votes are to b.
gained, the administration may make
shining example of its devotion to civil
service reform, but in Vermont it i
, safe to feed "the democratic offic
hunters hot in the pursuit of plumber.