Year: 1876




be brief reward of party zeal, instead of
posts of honor assigned for proved compe-
tency and held for fidelity in the public
employ; that the dispensing of patronage
should neither be tax upon the time of all
our public men nor the instrument of their
ambition. Here, again, professions-fa
fed in the performance-attest that the
party in power can work out no practical or
salutary reform" This has the clear ring of
true metal and we do not see how Governor
Tilden can ''go back on it," If this declar-
alton be not utterly hollow and unmeaning
it is promise that the democratic candi-
date, if elected. will not dismiss the sub
ordinate officers of the government on
account of their politics Unless it means
this it is an electioneering sham and means
nothing. 1t protests against the system
which "makes the civil service subject to
change at every election" and ''a prize to
be fought for at the ballot box" 1t declares
that 'the dispensing of patronage should
neither be tax on the time of our public
men nor an instrument of their ambition"
All we ask of Governor Tilden is that he
will give unqualified approval and due en-
phasis to this admirable part of the st.
Louis platform, and pledge himself to sail
by this chart if elected. If he has courage
enough, if he has confidence enough in the
sound sense and correct moral tone of the
people to carry the civil service banner
"full high advanced" if he is willing
to relinquish 'the spoils of victory" and es-
<ah 1,chx all ~
the expense of his own party, he will win
name and acquire honors before which
the most brilliant of recent political rep
utations will grow pale. Hayes cheap
PROMISE which could be fulfilled without
cost to his party, amounts to nothing; but
if Tilden shall engage, in his letter of ac-
ceptance, to repudiate the spoils system and
leave eighty thousand democrats 'out in the
cold" pining for offices filled by eighty thou
sand republicans he will have performed an
act Of political heroism of which this genera
ton furnishes neither precedent nor model
The Blunders the R0sebud-Cr0ok's


Position.


The key Of all the misfortunes of the pres
sent campaign is clearly an underestimate
of the numbers and fighting powers, inde-
pendent of numbers, of the Sioux. When
our correspondent with General Crooks
column wrote his first graphic description
of the fight on the Rosebud he merely
sketched in the details of the battle and
such obvious criticism Of the shortcomings
of the commander as the events of the day
forced upon him. It required the lapse of
some days before all the disastrous conse-
quences of that inglorious combat made
themselves apparent in Crooks camp
More than this, it required the same time
to discover that the Sioux had tracked
every step of their advance, and that the
attempt to enter the Rosebud Mountains
whittier they had been lured like wonder
ing antelopes, came near proving disaster
beside which the loss Of Clusters force would
have been small one. Our correspondents
letters detailing these facts will be read with
astonishment by the whole country. The
fine map which he has furnished, and
which we publish to-day, will make the
whole course of the battle clear. Had it
been n campaign against BOBBY birds it
could not have been more carelessly under
taken. Our correspondent, indeed, hints
that the incomplete organization of Crook
advance expedition was due in some
measure to the belief Qounded in some
absurd way on camp gossip that unless he
struck Sitting Bull at once he would find
Peace Commissioners before him. This
seems incredible, but the length at which our
correspondent discusses the peace question
shows that the camp, and probably the Gen.
enl commanding, were deeply affected by
some consideration of the sort. As it was
no part of General Crooks duty to concern
himself about anything outside his orders,
it seems astounding that he should risk so
valuable a command in an endeayor to "head
off" Peace Commissioners.


The more Crooks failure is looked at the
worse it appears. He was apparently i'm
PEELED to hasty action by motives that should
have no weight with a soldier; he adopted
no precautions in his advance, was led on
like blind man into ground he should never
have occupied he divided his command
in face of superior enemy, and was
whipped and forced to double on his
tracks, lucky only in escaping annihilation
1t is, indeed, with deep sorrow that we write
thus Of brave, skilled Indian fighter and
army officer of high rank, such as General
Crook. Just now the country is distracted
by n rumor of his death and the cutting off
of some of his forces. While we believe that
in his camp he could withstand the Sioux
we must recall his former failures. and must
consider another statement regarding his
movements which is little less than astound-
ing. While the rumors of Clusters battle
filled the camp, and while General Crook
was awaiting reinforcements, we see it
coolly announced that he was (June
Il, A. l.. i