The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-23

Elsewhere Will be found announcer lnstai-
ment Of the roster Of federal offce-holders
who are also managers of the party machine.
Since We began to print this instructive reg
lister the President has instructed the Col
lectors of Boston and Baltimore that they
and their subordinates must either abandon
their membership in party committees or
else resign their federal Offices, and it is I'M
derstood in Washington that this rule Will
presently be made public and general and
will be rigidly enforced He has also noti-
fed Mr.. Wykof. who is Chairman OF the Re-
publican State Committee in Ohio and pen
sion agent in that State, that he must either
give up his connection with the political
machine or cease to hold his federal office;
and it is known that he will soon issue
general instructions on this subject, which
will be rigidly enforced
There is the best reason to believe that
the President is earnestly determined to di-
vorce the civil service Of the government
from politics. Besides the positive utter
ances ON this important subject in his letter
OF acceptance and in the Inaugural Message
he has on several occasions spoken or writ
ten publicly in the same direction, and those
who imagine that he is either lukewarm or
that he is frightened at the opposition his
righteous undertaking may meet with
from the politicians are, we believe, greatly
mistaken in him. President Hayes moves
slowly, and only after thorough preparation
and when he has carefully surveyed his
ground; he probably knows as we'll as any
body the kind and amount of opposition
his civil service policy will meet with; he is
right not to be in haste, but we have no idea
he will take any step backward.
Within few days two letters have
been published, written by the Postmaster
General, which mark an important step in
the direction Of purifying the public service
and disconnecting it from partisan politics.
A special agent wrote requesting to be as
signed to duty in his own State, where che
could be more useful to the administration
and aid his party friends in building up an
administration party" Here was the old
system displayed in perfection. Under that
Post Office special agent was in reality
mostly political manipulation, paid by the
nant party. more odious misuse of
public place and the peoples money can
hardly be imagined; but so utterly demon
allied has public opinion become on the
subject that this special agent. no doubt an
honest man, has no shame or hesitation
about suggesting that he can better do his
illegitimate partisan service in one place
than another. The Postmaster Generals
reply is worthy of the general commenda-
ton it has received. Mr.. Key wrote:-"You
were not appointed to organize and build
up an administration party in your State or
elsewhere. You were appointed to do the
work Of the Post Office Department. You
serve your party best by doing that work,
and shall take great pleasure in removing
an agent and reducing the force when dis
cover that he has time to attend to party
organization and party discipline" The
other case is where some Post Office clerks,
discharged by their superior, local Post
master, made complaint and urged his
removal on the ground that he was not sup
porting the administration. Investigation
by q special agent showed that the Post
master was doing his duty properly, and
hereupon Mr. Key writes, at the command
of the President, these notable Words
The Post Office Is not political institution II il be
true, as you state that the incumbent opposes the
policy OF the administration, that he has right TO do.
and IL OF removal unless In his zeal and
activity he sink the postmaster the politician II
any one, whether ne support or oppose the admins
tration, negecs his duty by being busy politician
makes himself obnoxious by reason Of inconsderate
and foolish real, he ought to be removed But II he
attends 20 MS aas non ana makes so0o ana
though he sec lt TO oppose the administration. The
President finds no sufficient cause for change In the
Post oaice.
These are very important steps in the
right direction, and to them must be added
a third--a notice by the Public Printer,
lately appointed, that he does not mean to
rotate out of Office the men he has found in
the Office, and that he cannot, therefore, APP
point the numerous persons who have ap-
piled to him. 1t would be well if all the
departments in Washington would issue
similar notice.
We notice among the friends of civil
service reform a disposition to regard the
Presidents course on this question with
suspicion. So far he has had to meet not only
tHc ODpoSHlou Vi tHS purify luuhipututois,
but also the hating and lukewarm support
Of the very class which has been most zeal-
ously demanding this reform. This is
neither fair nor prudent. Mr.. Hayes has
undertaken IN enterprise for the success of
which he needs the ready confidence and
support of all its friends There is the best
reason to believe that he has determined to
those who should support him in it are
more inclined to lie in wait to point out
where he has in their opinion fallen short;
they are very ready to blame him upon
trifing occasions and to complain that he
does not move fast enough. Such people
will perhaps turn up their righteous noses nj