Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 June 1885 — Republicans Must Go. [ARTICLE]

Republicans Must Go.

It is related of Appointment Clerk Biggins that his favorite amusement is to walk about the departments, drawing his linger across his throat to signify decapitation, and muttering “Republicans must go." This statement looks as though it may have been made in a figurative sense, but it corresponds with another statement which comes from ah independent source and has a very real appearance. The second statement is conveyed in the following Wash ington dispatch to an administration newspaper: The Democrats throughout this city were very much gratified over the report given by Senator Voorhees of an interview that he had with the President. Senator Voorhees says that Mr. Cleveland told him that he intended to remove every Republican officeholder of any prominence at the very earliest possible moment. “The President,” said the Senator, “ assured mb that not one of them would bfe left. The only delay now would s mply be that which was absolutely necessary to sec'ure good men to put in their places.” And this is confirmatory of what has been claimed. There is to be a genera) change, and the bulk “of these changes will come very soon after the beginning of the fiscal year. Whether or not Higgins perambulates the departments giving the sign of decapitation there is no reason to doubt the Voorhees story. The President is becoming more and more convinced every day that he was elected for the purpose of redistributing the offices, and that he must do this work to suit the Democratic politicians who put him in office. His surrender to the lowa politicians in the case of the Marshalship for the Southern District of that State is plainly indicative of the course he will pursue, and we have no doubt that the report made by Mr. Voorhees will be fully verified, except as to the appointment of “good men.” It was simply absurd to expect ol Cleveland that he would be a non-par-tisan President and a consistent civilservice reformer. Such a result would imply that he was stronger than his party. There has been nothing in his career, towarrant such a conclusion. It may be that he owes his election to the mugwump vote of New York, but be was elected, nevertheless, as a straight Democratic candidate, and not as a mugwump or Independent. He has called about him a set of Bourbon advisers Manning, Bayard, Garland, Gorman, and so on. He is accountable primarily to the Democratic party, which has struggled for twenty-four years to get possession of the offices. As a prominent Democrat in Washington put the case some time ago, “The Democrats have won a glorious victory, and we do not propose to feed the enemy on our rations.” The Republicans must go. Cleveland could not prevent it if he wanted to, for he could not stand up against the universal demand Of his party and the combined assault of Congress. Bui he does not desire to make any fight foi the retention of Republicans in office. He is in the hands' of shrewd advisers, and he has been “going Blow” as a matter of policy. By a pretense of conservatism in the early days of bis administration be can make a favorable impression upon the people, and a first impression will withstand a good deal of subsequent violence. By delaying appointments somewhat he also gives the factions and contestants an opportunity to wear themselves out in the struggle, and he and his associates have time to determine what appointments will create least antagonism. His catchword, “offensive partisan,” is made broac! enough to include every man who did Mr. Voorhees reports him—“not one ol them will be left. ” The official a± is working pretty well now. It is being lubricated every day, and will work faster and faster as the date'for the convening of Congress approaches. All the Demoorats who want office will not be accommodated, for there are not offices enough to go around; but they will get all the offices there are. —Chicago Tribune.