The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-02

ONLY SKIN DEEP.
Beauty and party professions of high
motives are alike in being too often
but skin deep. They are usually con-
cessions graciously allowed admission
to platforms by the managers out of
polite Difference to the better sentiment
of the members of the party, but with
out serious intent to have them serve
as more than glittering generalities,
dress parade affairs, Sunday clothes,
sOcietys smirk or any other of those
numerous things that are put on for
occasion and taken off when the oc-
casion is passed. Among the many
frilIs of this sort that the Republican
party has been adjoining it's platform
with for many years has been it's pro-
testation Of love for and devotion to
the reform of the civil service Of the
country. national as we'll as that of the
minor divisions. 1t never intended
anything serious should come out of it.
and when, in the seventies, it had in
cautiously allowed a tentative measure
to pass congress and Grant indiscreetly
put men like Eaton and Curtis on it
and the politicians found that these
men were really reforming, they
promptly cut off the supplies and dis
missed the commissioners.
Lashed into repentance by the cleo
lions Of 1882 they reinstated the law
and since then have given it perfume
tory support, but when the dynasty
changed and a Democratic president
came in who was something of a re-
former himself, and exercised the power
of extension imprudently allowed the
executive, the pent up feelings burst
forth in fierce denuncia ton. When he
was succeeded by one Of their own
faith, a man who had dallied with the
reform and said fine things about it.
the storm broke out afresh and vast
and clamorous horde poured into Wash
1ngton from all directions with bitter
words Of denunciation on their tongues
and strenuous demands for a reform
that would let them at the trough. A
senate committee is Investigating"
the departments to find place to. put
the dynamite in. A commissioner Of
pensions is sweeping the Democrats
out of his bureau and restoring "old
soldiers" who were dismissed even by
Republican commissioners for ineffi-
cheney. Rumors fly daily over the wires
of revocations of CIeveland's orders.
The presidents room is thronged
daily by congressman with hungry
constituents, urging the removal
of bars. The librarian Of the
congress is given sixty assistants to
aid him in his intricate work in the
new library, and senators and repre-
sentatives besiege him, begging. de-
manding, threatening, informing him
that 1t makes no difference whether
their applicants know anything about
books and classifications or not: what
is wanted for them is place on the
salary rolls.
Mr. Castle, who is home for a few
days, tells how fierce is the struggle
how tremendous the pressure. In his
office he has twenty-three places not
included in the classified lists, laborers'
berths requiring only manual strength
Il have been approached by a small
army of people, applicants for these
places. My office is filled from morn
Ing to night with congressman and
senators soliciting this and that small
job for their friends. You would ba
surprised when I tell you that one
charwoman, whose salary is 1920 a
year, had the Endorsement of three
senator's" Mr.. Castles experience in DIR
postoffice has made his regard for tba
reform more than skin deep, and it will
suffer no harm at his hands; but this
rush and crush in his office are but typi-
cal of the furious hunger in all. But
1T will all serve no other purpose than
to illustrate the shallowness of Repub-
1ican solicitude for exemption of the
civil service from their spoilsmen. The
very pressure brought to bear upon the
R-OSAeASAiN LII liz Lew ploSSo lSlI un-
classified, the angry roar Of the baffled
horde at the orders that keep them
outside the coveted shelter. emphasize
the value Of the established reform
and the inevitable result of the slight
est modification. The president dare
not reverse the movement if he would,
and we do not believe he would. for
The first step would precipitate upon
him such nerve-rasping, importunate.
tnconsiderate torrent Of place-hunters
that his life would not be worth six
months purchase All the same the
outburst that has followed the change
OF administration indicates the real