New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-14
err OFF IND CUT DOUN.

CTT orr md CUT DOUN
There was no loss Of time on the part oi the
prcss in pointing ont Ia the viciors in the la''
nolitirol contest the spells which are understood
hy active politicians To 90 with victory. In pm
fishing Immediately after the general result was
made known Il complete list Of me "ilic'S fiii-
ing vacant or possible 10 br gathered H. WIFI
thc salaries attached the newspapers responded
g., vhot the instinct If news gathering taught
,hom would be the next demand 81 their read
or. after IN. returns were. read and digcStc''
They counted upon that universal human weak
mes, which at the end II any slruS-I'' De- 'h'
cause ever 80 holy or the viciurS ever :" ~lh@I'
minded ami unscfsh. turns naturally ANA N''l-
tahlv TO an inventory ~ the material b'n'h'S
that have accrued. 80 We have had LISTS ~ MI
the Offices and their salaries. that will fall WIN
In the reach 81 The victorious parry. ana III
some cases the names of candidates ana Allll
cants for the same with forecasts ana lf''c
tions concerning ia" uliimli" results. Ih'N
have been read 10y the large majority 81 voters
with the simple interest of ordinary cum 's'iy,
but I'm the minds Of many active Rcpibli'ah
politicians the catalogue has been min1trly cX
amlnrd with an intensity of feeling that comes
only Of the consciousness that things d'>IIhbI"
have suddenly bccom" things aiianahl'. II
need hardly hc said that ia" number II patriots
who have scrlinlzcd The list with this longing
sensation is largely in excess II III" nunbrr 81
nloces To be- filed. Human nature Is pretty
constant quantity in all parties. II mas i'''
hcen changed by the result of the elections. ana
a.. very much doubt il IT would have been
mota,norphoscd even il EllcT Anderson h"d
Millennium There, NJ
,vovs more pegs than holes. This year he mag
ntude II the victory Increases III" hu'hpr VI
candidates for official positions.
With the competition for places great anu
small The Tribune has nothing whatever 10 Il"
except 10 urge upon the appointing power III
ALI cases the necessity for making character ana
conacifv the essential tests. But The Ir'lh'
does have word or TWO 10 say on me gen
cral subject of what Is called official patronage
70 which IL invites the serious attention ~ mos"
Rcpublicans who have been placed III tt>p'h
sIblc positions by their party. To begin wiih
II must not be for gotten by any on" intriS'"
with the power Of appointment that III" voters
meant "A great deal more than mer" chang" III
the offices by their recent action. They nave
not turned ont one set Of men simply io pnt
I'm another They have ordered an OVERHAUL X
Of all the Offices and rigid scrutiny not only
into the qualifications Of present nculnb'tiiS
and rival candidates, but. deeper than all that.
into the question whether the office Itself Is lot
n useless cxcrcsccncc. the entire eos; Of TGlch
might be saved 10 the taxpayer by It's abolition
One Of the abuses which The People rose up
against in the late election was the inultlrlica-
t,on of useless Offices which have been ill"d at
high salaries by parcel Of worthless hangrrs-
nm whose services from years end ID years
end are not worth the cost of the paper on
which they receipt for their pay. The P"opl"
have no use for these men, and, what Is more,
no use for the offices they pretend To fill. Tn
der Democratic administration there has been
a steady increase Of these sinccure places, the
existence Of which Is n burden and the incum-
bcncy disgrace. We do not disguise from cur
selves the fact that upon every one of these
soft places the longing eyes Of Il considerable
number Of Republicans who think they deserve
something from the party are fixed. Nor are
we ignorant that among n certain class Of poll
iicians this sort Of patronage Is looked upon as
a source Of strength to the party, bccaus" il can
be used to reward the men who are called the
party workers." for whom there Is mol ordi-
narily enough patronage To 20 round Bun we
say none the less that II Is IN element of vcak-
ness instead Of source Of strength. and that,
whoever is disappointed. the whole raft II use
less commissions. Of sinecure positions and Off
ca loafng places should he swept ont # exist
cncc. That Is the work The Republican I.cgis-
lature and the Reform government Of his city
were elected to make II their first business
To do.
There should be also rc;rcnchmeni in all pos
sibc directions. and the initiation Of 4 pcrm.l-
nent system Of economical expenditure In every
branch Of State and municipal government.
And in urging this must not be understood
rs basng the argument for il upon merely iaa-
tcral and money saving grounds. The amount
Of money 10 he saved may be comparatively
small But the abolition Of snecurcs and re-
duction In extravaGnnt salaries will have a
much more important effect In keeping the pub
lie service pure from the faint Of most r
rupting and dcmoralizing element in politics.
reduction in the number and the emoum.nis
of ofice-holders and place-scckers would pro-