The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-21
THEY HAVE COME TO STAY.
Better Things in Politics., Once
Gained, Are Not Lost.

Brooklyn Eagle.
There is a new standard of action in gov
eminent. President Roosevelt, Governor
Odell n Mayor-elect Low are illustrat-
ing it.
For instance, President Roosevelt makes
an upright Democrat judge Of the United
States Court in Alabama because the Ala
bama Republicans proposed to him were
wanting in judicial qualifications. He could
have appointed a Republican from any
other State and assigned him to Alabama,
as Lincoln, Johnson. Grant, Hayes, Arthur
and Harrison did in analogous cases. But
he said: A Alabaman for Alabama, and,
lacking a competent Republican, a compe-
tent Democrat" There was a distinct ad-
vance.
Again, for the State Lunacy Commission,
to fill a vacancy, Governor Odell has been
urged to add one more to the two Repub-
hcans already on it. But his reported in
tention to appoint former Representative
Daniel n. Lockwood, of Buffalo, shows his
conviction that the State care act will be
guarded from repeal or abuse by making
both parties its supporters by selections
from each for the Lunacy Commission.
There was the craftsmanship of wisdom
and justice.
In like way Mayor-elect Lows cabinet
has been chosen on grounds of fitness, not
claims" of competency, not influence
of character, not backing" The rule has
secured representatives of all parties, an
absolute novelty in municipal government.
There is a deep and vivid satisfaction in
this. 1t rests on the bedrock of conscious
right. That is as it ought to be-" men
and women say. 1t redeems the promise
of the reform canvass, indicates the char
acter of Seth Low, and illustrates in action
a municipal party for municipal purposes.
An ounce of fact is worth a ton of argu-
ment. These facts bring home the i'm
proved standard of executive action. There
nxrA hAa~
mayors who fell far below this standard.
The successors of the men Of to-day in
these offices will have a hard time If they
do not initiate them. There is a tendency
toward permanency in correct action. 1t
commends continuance. 1t indicts depar-
ture from itself. Grover Cleveland orig
mated many reforms in the presidency, and
before that in the governorship. None of
them has ceased. The highest praise those
who came after him nave had has been due
TO their adherence to his methods. Both
Roosevelt and Odell have made advances
on them. Low is improving on both. The
significance Of this is great.
Credit for 1t is not confined to those who
MAINTAIN this new standard. Thomas c..
Platt had IL in his power to make what
Roosevelt, Odell and Low are doing diff
fcult. He made 1t easy. All Of them not
only admit that, but all of them say they
wish everyone to know the fact. Naturally,
Thomas G.. Plat stands better In public
opinion, and, naturally, he is a happier
man for standing better in that opinion.
10 N1As . III - " oIlOISG lldl III
politics than he was before. The substitu-
ton of moral estimates for sordid ones in
office filling has paid. Low, Waring. Par
fridge, Rives, Jerome, Grout. Fornes,
Swanstrom and such men make Peyn. Aid
ridge, Van Wyck, Holahon, Gibbs, Maggie
and Devery seem like exhumed relics of a
barbarous age thrust on ontemporary
view. Yet they We're the tools of manage
ment or the yield of suffrage, not long ago.
Contrast the gratifying business of Pres
ident. OF Governor and of the mayor-elect,
in6nrCnd and aided hu Snnntnr Olaf NAL
the perhaps necessary but certainly diff
ferent work hunte on Mr.. T. l.. Wood
ruff Of holding elected spoilsmen by the
collar, lest they run away with the goods
they are expected to market among man.
ayers. Some men are really unfortunate in
the work set TO them or assumed by them.
OF course, there Is no unanimous expec-
tation that the new order of things will
last. But the doubt is strongest among
those who were convinced that the old
order of things would last and could not be
overthrown. They were mistaken then.
They may be now. The men who believe
not that honesty is the best policy, but that
honesty is better than policy, are persuaded
that the skeptics Of reform to-day are in
an error as great as they were when they
were the bluffing optimists of the irwin
cibility of misrule; The future alone can
determine that. But the failure of in
famies Is hard to repair. The police are TO
have two years freedom from blackmail-
ing and from being blackmailed. Liquor
dealers are 10 have a chance TO carry on
business honestly. Gamblers and other of
tenders can no longer buy protection or
| privileges. Money will be thrown away on
such ventures for two years. The victors
are going TO experiment with honest gov
eminent. The losers are turning red blood
committees OF hardy spoilsmen into blue
blood debat ting societies of softly orators.
Fusion in overalls is going to work. Tam
many and Willoughby street in dress suits
will substitute leeks for olives. and between
speeches on the beauties OF virtue will plot
| and predict their return TO power. This
| pleasing business here may concur at Wash
ington with Populistic protests against hon
est money. against colonial reforms, against
treaties 10 connect nations by friendship
and oceans by canals. But we have conf
dence in the new standards set in govern
ment. and we even expect that the oppon-
ents of them will shortly vie with the pres
ent supporters of them In saying that they
have always been for them. though they
have been grievOusly misunderstood and
we're even occasionally maligned