The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-12
BIRDS OF A FEATHER.

We called attention yesterday to the
utterances of Mr.. A. c. Bentley, an ILL.,
nois Democrat who is of the opinion
preferably four years, is the great po-
litical idea that is to sweep the country
at the next election. We also Ioted
that Mr. Bentley and his associates
have represented in the past ideas of
political policy that proved unable to
sweep anything. 1t is fitting coinci-
denee that precisely the same views
should inspire the Republicans Of Ken
lucky. Their new senator presided
over the state convention, and that
body adopted platform of which one
plank reads as follows:
We are opposed to a system of civil service
that builds up an official class almost life
tenure, in almost all branches Of the public
service, and we demand that the civil service
be modified to limit the term Of office
to four years
These are the utterances of the spoils-
men and echo the sentiments of the
Republicans of the great state which
is across the river from Kentucky. It
is not surprising that this spells idea
should have penetrated the Republican
party SO thoroughly as to dominate
its conventions in many states Of the
Union, and to give every appearance
Of being able to control a majority Of
the entire party in no long space of
time. The state Of New York. which
was one of the leaders in the work of
civil service reform, has become, under
the leadership of Plat and Gov. Black,
foremost in reintroducing the spoils
system to public life. Everything that
the governor and legislature of that
state could do to abolish fitness as a
test for office, and to make public place
the price Of political fealty, has been
representatives from the state of New
York in any convention, either local or
national, being named, as they will be.
by the Republican machine, will be as
much Of unit in favor Of the restora-
ton of the spoils system as the state
convention of Kentucky.
1t is natural, as we have said. that
this should be so. Any party which, in
any Of its policies, puts private interest
before the public good, needs only a
little incentive to follow that principle
in all. If it is right that the people
should be taxed for the benefit of pri-
vate corporations; if the government
exists in order that ii may bestow ia
yors upon individuals and syndicates.
what possible moral ground can there
be for objecting to the distribution of
its official places on the same basis? It
is for this reason, because the spoils-
mans idea is entirely harmonious with
the great policy Of protection that con-
stitutes the sole title of the Republican
party to existence today, that we may
expect it to increase and flourish, as it
has done among the Republicans of
every state in the Union
The common people, who have well
coined gladly the reform of the civil
service, the consequent Improvement in
the conduct of official business and the
partial abolition Of the frightful abuses
that marked the old days of the politi-
cal machine, should not be over-confi-
dent If they believe that cause is
won for good and all; if they are sooth-
ed into repose by the good work that
Mr.. Mckinley has done in refusing the
demands Of his party for an abroga-
ton Of the civil service rules, they are
likely to find, in the near future, a Re
publican majority of congress yield
ing to the clamorous demand of the Re
publican masses for a destruction of
civil service reform in the nation as
complete as that which the party has
wrought in the state of New York