The times., 1899-06-18
A PIoUs MYTH EXPLODED.
The Song and Dance for Reformers.
All That Duty Demands.

tfrofn the New NorS Evening fost.l
The more the Presidents betrayal OF
civil service reform is defended the worse
il looks. both for him and for his apollo
gists. Poor Mr.. Gage is rapidly adopting
the melancholy hypocrisies of the spoils-
men. Unable to break the force OF the
damaging attacks OF veteran reformeTs
like MIR. f. p Wheeler, he falls back on
that hoary old shibboleth Of the looters.
that he is In entire sympathy with the
merit system. but that he is no "bigot''
about reform, and desires above all things
TO make 1t practical" This is the pre-
else defence OF the drunken temperance
lecturer. He was prohibitionist he told
the astonished deacon who found him
embracing the lamp-po but not bigot-
ed one. Uniuckiiy for Mr.. Gage, on the
same morning that his lodging reply to
Mr. Wheeler appears, Senator Hanna
comes along to upset the whole apple
cart by brutally declaring that the Presi-
dents order was intended to get rid of
the appointees whom Cleveland "saddled
upon the Republican party" This makes
II needless for Mr. Gage further to hurt
his own reputation by writing more white
washing letters
What we most wish to call attention
to. however. is the striking and on the
whole, gratifying way In which the Presi-
dent $ civil service order has opened many
eyes, heretofore blinded to the real char
acter OF the man. Why, says the grieved
Independent. one of his thick-and- thin
supporters down to this fatal act of self
revelation, II looks as If Mr.. Mckinley
were weak man, unable TO resist the
pressure. of politicians, Since Bottom was
translated there has been no such painful
transformation OF good man. But the
discovery, we must say. Is triie late.
Mr.. Mckinley has acted in this civil ser
vice business precisely as he has In all
the other important matters coming be-
fore him. The only difference is that in
this case there was his specific and bind
ing personal pledge not to do the thing
which he has done. But what will be his
regret? Not that he broke his promise.
but that he was foolish enough ever to
make IT. His reputation and success have
been built upon having no convictions that
could not be altered IL they did not suit
In this instance there was the awkward
ness OF his appearing to have firm prin-
ciple, and his cool remuneration Of 1t has
\ been great public unveiling of his char
| acter; but the manner of man he Is has
been no secret. We could name a Repub-
lican Senator, stalwart of the staIwarts.
and personally on good terms with the
| President. who cried out full two years
ago. at the time of Mr. McKinley's back
| ing and filling and regeneration on Ha-
waiian annexation: HE is the weakest
| man VINO mas Deen IN the Wnite AOuSe
since Buchanan
1t is. therefore. only the breaking down
of pious Mckinley legend that his sur
render to the spoilsmen has effected. The
public now knows what thousands of men
have long known who have had the oppor-
tunity of studying Mr.. McKinley's political
methods A realistic picture of them would
show him always interested, always i'm
pressiye. always solemn in his conyersa-
| tions with reformers. He thanks them
| with tears in his eyes for advice and rec
concentrations, and even for pointing out
| violations of the law. He usually gets
his hand upon their shoulder or his arm
about them, before they leave the Execu-
tive Chamber Never have they seen
more affecting spectacle of a man wholly
devoted to the public good. But with this.
Mr.. Mckinley conceiyes that his whole
duty to reformers has been discharged.
He has given them their Song and dance"
as Mayor Strong used to say in like cases.
Having buttered their parsnips with fine
words, he turns to the serious business of
government; calls in Hanna and Quay and
and tells them to sit down and write
quickly what they would have done. and
done it is. Then he suggests to Secretary
Gage that 1t would be a good time to
write another letter showing how the Pres
ident has been misunderstood" and In
timating that there is a certain secret
illumination which enables those charged
with the work of actual administration" to
see a very halo Of good intentions about
suspicious acts.