The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-04-29
THE REFORM CLUB Is SAD.


The Civil Service Reform club is cast
down. 1t has donned the garb Of
mourning and with resignation pitiful
to see has assumed that stony look of
uncertainty that betokens lost idol
and forlorn hope in its resurrection.
These habiliments of grief are the
result of its recent annual conference in
New York. In the early part of the
meeting something like an appearance
Of cheerfulness pervaded the session,
but its prophetic soul this organization
seems to possess souD, moved by the
cruel facts of Mr.. Cleveland's back
sliding, welled up with sadness until
the final banquet became veritable
funeral. The gloom of the occasion forced
itself upon the assemblage and was
accompanied by wall of despair that
would not down. All of the speeches
were tinged with bitterness, and even
the most sanguine reformer could find
no cause for congratulation save in a
recapitulation Of past glories. The
future offered no ray Of hope. The
bronze statue of that model civil SER
vice reformer, Mr.. Cleveland, which
had been erected in the imagination of
all pious reformers last November, mid
the sounding of cymbals and hosannahs
of praise. had been subjected to the
storms of practical politics only two
months and had already proved itself
made of clay.
Mr.. Charles N. Bonaparte led the
more hopeful contingent Mr.. Cleve-
land had made one good judicial ap-
pointment in Baltimore, and he was
sure that if Mr.. Cleveland had made
the second it also would have been
good. But he left the matter to his
advisers and the appointment had
turned out badly. This was stand-off.
They, the Baltimore reformers, said Mr..
Bonaparte, Immediately tumbled head
long over each other in their eagerness
to mount the fence of uncertainty,
diligently dangling their legs on either
side Of the fence and kicking their heels
against the boards. They wanted to
get down and shout for Cleveland, but
somehow things did not look right and
they felt depressed by the prospect. 1t
had occurred to them that possibly they
had done their shouting a little too
early, aud that Mr.. Clevelands election
was not such glowing success for
civil service reform as they hoped.
Other speeches were of the same dole
full tenor, and Everett p. Wheeler
ventured the belief that Mr.. Bissell had
the one saving grace Of hating insin-
cerity, even if lie was not reformer.
Mr.. Wheeler did not explain how the
one characteristic of Mr.. Bissell would
give comfort TO the assemblage.
But the crowning wall was left for
Carl Schurz, gentleman who has never
failed to laud Mr.. Cleveland as the typical
reformer. Mr.. Schurz dwelt long and
eloquently upou the glorious past of the
club, and intimated that as it had
grown from nothing to a membership of
$4,000 it would seem as Though it was
old enough to stand alone but the
future looked dark. He omitted his
usual eulogy of Mr.. Cleveland, and
only referred to that gentleman in
directly. Even If the Democracy
was giving evidence of apostacy TO the
teachings of the club he felt that the
world was in sympathy ,with its aims,
Let it not be said" said he, "that the
Reform club is pushing in advance of
public opinion, put let it rather be said
that the administration is tagging
behind"
AS the club dispersed, some one ven
tured to wonder audibly, "why are we
reformers always Democrats But
his voice died away into husky whis-
per in the midst of the painful silence
that greeted his remark.