The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-04
THE PEOPLES LETTERS,
CIVIL sERyICE REEoRM.
Its TrIsI IN the New York Police and \, I,
ChInese Home-The Flag OF Democr.c,

Its TriaI In the New Hork Police and n, n.
ChIness Home-The FiRR OF Democracy.
To the EDr7oR or TUE suN-Sir: "Dcno.
cratic reorganization" Yes, il is truly TINT. ~
thank thee for this word" Has It never 10.
Cured to the desperate squad " Mugwumrs
Cuckoos. and malcontents who are trying 10 do
stroy the Democratic organization. that thev
are doing their best service TO this party and IA
honest politics generally by standing up and
letting themselves DO counted. This Is inst
what they are doing. The result will he whole.
some. Those who do not accept the claim that
these gentlemen without political principles.
who believe that government can be run nv
civil service rules, Irrespective OF parties. ara
therefore a superior class OF beings, should take
care not 20 be mixed with them In the count 10
plainly trscesbie TO the. Mugwumrt theory Of 500
Ncisls a distinct class. with life tenure OF their
offices instead of. holding these positions as
mand. Tho police scandals in New York city
merely show what must happen s. long, ms hu.
arc allowed to remain so long on ono beat Tint
they are taught to regard themselves as absolute
autocrats, instead OF being merely the servants
The Chinese notion Of civil service reform, By
proyidential coincidence,, has run 70 seed in i've
native home Just at the time when its unsavory
fruits nre becoming more evident each day in
our own country. The ,woeful corruption that
able TO resist the attacks Of Japan. 1t is the nat.
ural result of what the Mugwumps euphemisti-
cally call "the merit system OF appointment,
coupled with life tenure Of the Offices thus
gained. Yet so strong was the MuRwump infu-
ence in New York's Constitutional Convention
that with strange faulty its members have SUBJ
mitted the continuance OF what they call this
"merit system'' as q part OF the organic law OF
the State. III there were no other objection to
the new Constitution, that is enough TO %effectu-
ally damn It when 1t comes before intelligent
people for approval.
Democratic issues were never presented in
better shape than they are In the canvass which
Senator Hill has made through the state. Dem.
ocratio success will mean the Fighting of tho
Democratic party and its radiance forever Of
the Mugwump control fastened upon II. This
will also help to free the Republican. party from
the same .abhorrent influences. with straight
partisan issues. holding each party and indi-
politics will be In a way to become pure, as they
were In the days before Mugwump slime tried TO
obliterate partisan lines.
II Is for such reasons as this that many Re-
publicans In the interior OF New York will vote
for the Democratic State ticket this year. This
vote will. | am sure. offset tho detection by the
squad of boilers now every day rapidly lessening
In numbers In New York and Brooklyn. 1t Isl
mystery to me why there should be any Demo-
cratic detection In New York or Brooklyn In aid
ola party seeking topermanently dis~franchise in
possible to believe that this bolt can by election
day have any serious proportions. The Wheeler
ticket will probably get at best only votes that
II IL had not been In the field would have been
cast for Morton-votes which, in 1898. were cast
for Ira Davenport, and In 1888 for Warner Mil
Ter. against whom Gov. Hill was In each case
triumphantly elected. MONROE.