New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-21
THEIR CONFESSION OF DISHONESTY

THEIR CONFESSION OF DiHHo-H''i'
The history Of politics furnishes no parallel
TO the shameless cflrontcry with when the
marty NOW in mower in the Nation makes open
confession Of the deliberate dishonesty VIII"
which, in It's platform professions ana lhe Ut
tcrancc~, Of its public men, 1t 'riched ana ue-
coivo1 thc pcoDlc. Mr. Clcvcland's famous
platitude. Public Office is a public trust. has
been made to do duty ever since he hrS'
mouthcd tin Platforms in party newspapers
and on the stump-as the cnunciation OF Il great
fundamental principle and the promise OF Il ulS-
tinct and positive policy to be initiated wheh-
oyer the party should come TO power ana ma
its oppOrtuniy So long as II was Ill the lhluor-
itv It's leaders and supporters were unccaslhS Ill
thcir condemnation Of whatever had the seih-
blancc Of using Government patronage Tor par-
tisan purposes. They were clamorous LOT IT,
form of the Civil Service they wanted 10
tests for office except honesty and efficiency
and they howlcl themselves red III the i'Vc
whenever the holder of Il Federal olhcc ""'
found taking a part in political campaigns Vi
making subscriptions to campaign 1uhuS. roi
the last eight years they have harpcd more on
this string than on any other even 'il'h oi
tariff reform. At Chicago. in 1S)2, after repeat
ing the shibbolcth. Public office Is Puohc
trust" they proceeded to dcnounce the honl"i
,ion Of Harrison by convention in which there
were Ofiice-holdcrs as " scandalouS St'rc ui""
free popular institutions, and Il startling Illus
1ration of the methods by which frcsideht
may crafty his ambition" On that platform
they carried the country.
Then what did they do? What did their grca,
holder of the greatest public trust 90! "hS'
This IT being in his view important that GER
I,1 md hpr
obvious majority of the heterogeneous elements
which comprised his party in Congress OPP
poscd TO such repeal, he withheld his most I'M
portant appointments until they couid be uSou
TO win the support of a sufficient number OF
doubtful or hostile members and senators 10
carry the measure There was hardly any pre-
fence of conccallncnt OF this purpoS" ana no
word Of disapproval came from the Civil Ser
,icn Rcfor,ners who had done so much 10 elect
him. Whenever they permitted Themselves 10
make any comment it was to the eject mat
thc rcpcal Of the Silver Purchase act was OF
such momcntous Importance that Ii JuS'ihed inc
use even of the public trusts TO carry II
through. Hence in the House and In the senate
thoro were enough sudden conversions OF
frce-conage congressman and Senators 10 carry
tho rcpcal with the aid Of the majority OF Re-
mon who had been influenced by patronage
nor the precise disposition of Offices which had
affected their Judgment. 1t may also be men
Toned in paseing that the pcrmancncc OF some
Of the conversions is in Il fair way TO be tested
nv the action Of the House upon the Bland bill
now pending
Not more open nor shameless were the opera
tions of Mr. Josiah Quincy In the State De
nortmcnt. where he astonishcd the more In
aen,lous and supplemented Rcformcrs by his
summary methods and the swiftncss with
which. without the slightest prctcncc of reason
or excuse except party necessity, he decapi-
tatcd every Republican Office holder in his own
department and many more as he could
reach in every branch OF the Government ser
vice Being taken 10 task for 1t, he boldly ahd
uublushngy avOwcd the policy or using the
Offices TO carry out measures that were con
silercl Of greater importance than CIVIL Service
Reform. It was one of " the political customs
firmly fixed by long usage" he said, and could
not be changed 80 as 10 conform to the IDEAS
of advanced Civil Service Rclormcrs without
almost disruptng the party Political Gus
toms" be it remembered, which Josiah ana his
party had been dcnouncing without measure
and which they came into power pledged &c
abolish. Was there ever NOR" shameless con
fcssion Of dishonesty than this?
And if more were needed here we have had
President Cleveland himself and all his Cabinet
on exhibition for weeks in Il vain cndcavOr &c
use Government patronage and the blandish
ments Of Executive favor 10 crafty personal
spite in fractional quarrel. And this was car
ried on SO openly TO provoke the criticism
OF his own party and in the end defeat his pur
/ pose Talk about "a scandalOus satire upon
free popular institutions and a startling illus
tration of the methods by which Il President
may crafty his ambition. Was there cvcl
more scandalous satirc' or startling illus
tratiOn than this? And this is the President
this the party, these the Reformcrs, who have
been bowling for all these years that Public
Office Is public trust.