The Savannah Tribune

President Cleveland congratulates himself in his message, on his civil service progress made by the friends of reform. When the country recollects that Mr. Cleveland a few months before the election, when the country had virtually pronounced the death knell of his party, that he, after first permitting the removal of all republicans possible and the filling of their places with offensive partisans of the strongest stripe, declared the civil service law to be in force in every department of the government, thereby excluding the millions of patriotic young Americans from aspiring to office with the hope of success, there will be a broad smile. The President should have protected office holders at the commencement of his term of office, and not when he and his party were about to be repudiated by the people.