| Show THE SPOILS DOCTRINE A sufficient time has baa elapsed since it became known that the next administration admi n will be republican to ad admit in it of general expression of opinion upon the spoils doctrine about two weeks ao ago senator logallo said it if there will be more than 00 democrats in office on the ath of march next about which I 1 know nothing bottling they should all be removed before b the going down of the sun on that hat t day and more than re republicans ubi appointed in their stead what what the he t the administration will be I 1 have neither opinion nor information sv senator farwell oi of illinois takes a similar position and declares the first test I 1 would apply would be as to the applicants ability as a republican politician he should be that before any other qualities of fitness would be considered by me the utterances of these two republican senators have excited widespread comment throughout the country and it is gratifying to note that they are severely criticized by many republican journals the indianapolis journal published at the home of the dent elect and widely accepted as his quasi organ opposes the clean sweep ers of its party it says the cause of civil service reform has not yet made such progress but that there are some republicans who openly avow their approval of the doctrine that to the victors belong the spoils and who unhesitatingly advocate a clean sweep of all democrats in office it was this very doctrine and practice that created a necessity for civil service reform the movement did not come any too soon and if held to its original purpose it cannot be too earnestly prosecuted for the welfare of the country the fact that it has been made more or less odious by hypocritical professions and pre tendes is not the fault of the movement movement is essentially right it aims to reduce the business administration odthe of the government to business principles to place it on a stable basis to remove the minor offices from the field of mere political spoils and to mate make merit and efficiency ruling principles in appointments and promotions it is impossible to deny the justice of a movement that aims at ends all good citizens and both parties alike are interested in their accomplishment they must be accomplished if our civil service is to be bb saved f from rom becoming the mere prey ot of spoils men and a perpetual source ot of corruption anda and danger langer to the government 11 the same article predicts that civil service reform will move forward rather than backward and declares that it has come to stay it reminds the country that 11 the republican party by its platform pledges is fully committed to civil service reform and that general harrison has declared himself in full sympathy with it the washington post surmises that the article in ia the indianapolis journal from which the above quotations we are made was inspired by general harrison and probably written by his private secretary the latter being the managing editor of the journal it this conjecture be correct general harrison after being inaugurated will be compelled to either disappoint and antagonize tag onize the clean sweepers of his party such as ingalls and farwell or stultify himself and repudiate the platform upon which he was elected present appearances indicate the possibility of trouble between president gent harrison and some of his bis party leaders far more extensive and serious than that wh ch was developed between president garfield and senator conkling ingalls power and influence as a leader in the councils and policy of his party is scarce ly surpassed and senator farwell ranks close to him these men would not talk as they do were there not a strong sentiment in their party and among its managers in support of the views on the other hand many influential republican journals are insisting upon a good faith compliance with tn toe e letter and spirit of the civil service law and even an extension of its genius and pro provisions v inions the baltimore american endorses the article in the indianapolis journal and predicts that general harrisons i a policy in respect to removals will be conservative the milwaukee sentinel reasons that from a purely party standpoint a clean swee sweep of democratic officeholders office holders would woul not net pay the party in power and says inefficient officials should be removed because they are inefficient and not because their places are wanted by republicans henry waterson and other editors have urged hat self respect requires every democratic emo cratic officeholder to resign as soon as the new administration assumes power tut but there is probably less sympathy with the views of sucu democratic clean sweepers sw apers than lor for those ot of the republican ones of thu the ingalls farwell school tt ft would be absurd for r a republican publican Be president to choose a democrat as 9 a L member 0 of his cabinet or to nome one to the court ot of st james bu betit it is equally absurd to assume that an otherwise competent com Detent man should not retain the position of po postal stale clerk ae rk 0 or r bank inspector under a republican administration if be be a democrat the good sense of the country favors a change in the more important political offices that their conduct may be in harmony with the principles which the people at the polls have expressed a desire to see prevail but that same good sense is opposed to the deal clean sweep doctrine and in favor of the carrying out of the spirit and meaning of the civil service law |
