Middletown transcript., 1896-02-08
THE OUTS VERSUS THE ms.


THE OUTS VERSUS THE ms.
The sins" are always advocates OF
civil service; the "outs" are opposed to
it, until they get in. Civil Service is a
humbug, first class humbug so far as
the General Government is concerned.
It retains in office a lot o. fossils who
become lazy and arrogant. 1t is tax
on the people to maintain class OF
mugwnmps without political principles
and who regard only self. That is
true. After every election "the boys''
who are in get together and parcel out
the plums. They work the newly ap-
pointed chiefs by concert of action,
and having gotten all there is in it,
they turn to the next with smiling and
expectant faces. A gentleman from
Washington recently told us that al,
ready''the boys" in the Departmentsara
preparing for the next change of admin
istration, and are combining to parcel
out the best places among themselves.
The spoils system may have been bad
but itcould not have been worse than
civil service humbug.
We believe that the States and es-
pecially the cities want better sys-
tenn than the one they now have. 1t
should be tenure of Office for speci-
fic term, with direct responsibility to
the people. Certainly we do not desire
to create class of office holders, who
will soon seek to become pensioners as
they are in England. That idea has al
ready many advocates in the Depart
ments at Washington and various
plans of providing pensions have been
proposed. Do the people desire this?
We think not. They do desire more
economical administration of the pub
lie offices, however. Why should fat
salaries be paid to Office holders when
the people are forced because of the
stringency of the times to economize
and to deny themselves? 1t is because
the people are so partisan as to cling to
party and party men right or wrong I.
For this they pay the penalty.
The difference between the political
ains'' and the 'souts'' may be noted in
the attitude of our Maryland neighbors.
The Democrats now claim that the Re-
publicans were Civil Service Reform
ers only until they got in, and that
under that plea they secured many
Democratic votes. TIE Edston Star in a
leader on this subject says:
'sHow the Republica ms prated about
Civil Service Reform before the last
election. They actually made some
very good Democrats believe that they
meant all they said about it. They
made many Democrats believe that the
campaign which they were waging was
simply and purely kind of religious
service, organized upon grounds of pa
trintism., And in furtherance of that
idea Mr.. Lowndes wrote letters to
ministers of the various churches, ap-
pealing to them to help the Republi-
can party in its work of reform. Surely
1t was a strange admixture this-Re-
publicanism and religion. Well. the
Republicans were successful, and now
for the redemption of the promises.
That is entirely another question. One
good old fashioned Democrat who was
led away from the path which he had
trodden for many years, was heard to
exclaim the other day, ''Why they
tmeaning the Republicans) are not
going to turn the Democrats out of
subordinate places, are they? l GER
tainly should ueyer have voted for Mr..
Lowndes had l thought that was going
to be the result"
But how any Democrat could be
fooled into voting the Republican
ticket with the belief that they would
carry out their promises is past our
comprehension. Civil Service is dead
already, SO far as the counties are con-
cerned, and if the legislature passes
any civil service law for Baltimore City, |,
It will not be until every Democrat is
removed and his place is filled by a Re-
publican"
If the Republicans are SO foolish as
to break their ante-election pledges
they deserve to be beaten at the polls,
and they will be. The Star, however,
is not fair. 1t is partisan and does not
do the Republicans justice. 1t wants
Civil Service for "the outs" only. The
Snow Hill Messenger, which is just as
strongly Democratic as is the Star
gives the whole matter away. 1t says:
NSenator Bruce Of Baltimore and
Senator Smith of Worcester had a
lively debate the other day over Mr..
Bruces' Civil Service bill. Bruce was
trying to force the counties to adopt
his pet, but the county members led by
Col. Smith successfully opposed it. 1t
wastoo radical q -Eaeasnrey preventing
Clerks ofthe Court and other officials
selecting their deputies, as well as con-
tanning many other ridiculous feat
ures.n
Now Senator Smith is the leading
Democrat In the Senate, the caucus
nominee for U. s. Senator, and he is
opposed to the reforms, leading in their
defeat. Why2 Because the Democrats
are in power in q majority of the coun-
ties. He is willing for the .'outs' to
advocate it but none for him and hin
friends when they are s'in." Ifreform
Is good for the city government why
not for the counties? "Too radicali'
says th . Messenger. BAIL It's politics =
that is all. Why not be politically hon