New-York tribune., 1899-07-16

discovered that from the Doglnnlhs WI "'' '''
even when they were commencing MN as ""
example To other office holders his Department
was honeycombed by spollsmen whom ne re-
fused to punish That charge was maue WIN
specifications but il was so evidently weapon
seized for an occasion that it could not nave
great weight with those who cared niue LOT
the particular formulas OF this or that cirque
of hobby riders but wore only anxious 10 know
that the Republican party was true 10 rs
pledges and that the Republican Adminis'ra-
tion. however it might differ from doctlnares
about details of Civil Service rules, was thor
ougbly devoted to the maintenance ana extern
sion Of the merit system. Accordingly, we nave
waited I'm spite Of the early shout for spolls
from Ohio hoping to see the rules JUSTIFY them-
soIvos In nractice and accepted by the mass
of plain people. however the professional re-
formers might grumblc, as n reasonable ana
honest redemption of the pledge or the 81.
Louis platform.
Rut what the chronic critics have not been
able to do Republican politicians are in danger
of doing The platform of the Republicans OF
Kentucky will go further than all the Clvil ser
vice Reform League circulars to dscredlt tne
recent order with those who have sought TO ne
lleve II was good. Here are two complimentary
blanks of that platform:
We reafflrm our adherence to principles ana
10 policies proclaimed by the last NatlOnal ne
publican Convention except as TO the CiVh ser
vice. ,. -. |iu
We commend the present amendment OF civil
Service rules by the President. and declare our
belief that further notifications or ehs'ns
Civil Service legislation may be made Win au-
vantage to the public service
If that means anything it means that the
Republicans of Kentucky approve the new
rules. because they are not in line with the
Civil Service declarations Of the St Louis plat
form. which they repudiate and condemn
That nledpo WAS that the Civil Service law
sbould "be thoroughly and honestly enforced
and extended wherever practicable And this
is the INTERPRETATION placed on the new rules,
rot bv enemies of the Administration, or by
critical faddists but by friends and supporters
Of the President, who rejoice in his virtues and
cool, noIitjcal capital in his achievements. In
face of ii, what becomes OF Mr.. Cages assur-
once that the amendments are not a violation
but a fulflment of the paItys solemn pledge! !!
Either the Secretary is wrong or the Kentucky
Republicans are wrong The Repuplcah party
cannot make campaign on both sides Of this
issue The question is Oh which side is IL go
ing TO be placed before the people Some OF
the Ohio Republicans when the new rules were
first made rejoiced to think it was on the spoiis
side. and now. when the subject has been at
length discussed the Kentucky convention
reaches the same conclusion. Have they read
the meaning of the rules more clearly than
those who made and still defend them! II So
some revision Of the rules is needed II the Ke-
publican party is not to go before the people
next wear bearing the burden of just reproach
for having broken its pledges and deceived the
voters with false pretences. If not, evidently
more defences yet are needed to save the
party from the Misrepresentation of its own
conventions.