Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-11-06
FRIDAY EVENING, NOV. 6. 1896

The PRETENCE or cause aSSlSuco ioi
the recent removals from the Treasury
Department, is pernicicus activity,
phrase coined by Mr.. Cleveland's man
Friday during his first administrator
in order to excuse his removal ofrepub-
licans whom he lacked the manllness to
turn out on the ground that the demo
Gratis who elected Cleveland had right
TO q fair share of the offices. These
gentlemen who have been thus decapi-
tated are not alleged to have neglected
their official duties or to have been dis
respectful to their superiors. If they
were disrespectful at all, it was in the
attribute of personal honor and fidelity
to the regular nominees OF the great
marty to which Mr.. Cleveland and his
Cabinet are indebted for honors which
he and some of his Cabinet have GER
tainlv not merited Yes, to choose the
path of honor is necessarily reflection
on those who reject it. Pernicious &C.
tivitv Was it "pernicious activity
for Mr.. Carlisle to quit the arduous and
important duties of his great office to
90 to Kentucky more than once 10 en-
deavor to defeat the democracy and
give aid and comfort to the republicans?
Did Mr.. Herbert and Mr.. Wilson COM
NIT "pernicious activity" in trying to
strike the party to which they owe their
promotion. Was it "pernicious activi-
ty" for Mr.. Cleveland to aid by dis
patch the organization of assistant re-
publicans who met at Indianap-
oils to endeavor to assassinate
the party that had foolishly, blindly,
trusted him with power? Was it per-
nicious activity or pernisious blasphemy
to inject into Thanksgiving proclama-
ton the virus of his own malignant
treachery and hatred to the party be
had betrayed, because it dared to speak
for the truth and the rights of man, in
stead of foreign syndicates ? Pernicious
actively forsooth Was George Wash,
ington guilty of pernicious activity
when he tried to capture the traitor
Arnold in order to hang him? He did
hang the spy Andre, but he did not ex'
terpate the breed of spies or prevent
subserviency to England or the infu,
ence of British gold and the British
press upon our recreant American ele-
ment. 1t is evident that the only &C.
tivity which is deemed worthy of pun
ishment is the activity of honesty, up
Brightness and democratic fidelity. The
activity of treachery and apostasy, &C.
cording to the Cleveland gospel, is alto
gether in order. These gentlemen go
now. What higher need of honor than
their dismissal by the authors of the
bond swindle-which even the republi-
can ellies of the boilers have been CON-
PEELED to repudiate as something too
shameless even for them to father and
support? On the 4th OF March some
other people go to merited doom.
The republicans say they were loyal,
and may give them taste of public
offal. DR.. johnson said that patriot
ism was the last refuge of scoundrel.
That was in the last century. Since
then we have had the jargon OF civil
service reform, the pet phrase of per-
nicious activity, and the development OF
political hypocricy which eclipses all
presidents and needs no protection
against foreign competition. A new
bond swindle might perhaps cost us
more, but would be lessoffensiye to our
nostrils.