The Portland daily press., 1878-03-25
IN. Y. Tribune.J
Gail Hamilton Once More.
Mr.. Dsrmah b. Eafen's Path OF Glory In
Of Omciai Life and Of the People.

Mr.. Oorman B. Eaton says, "rhe moral tone
Of Official life was then QS74) far belJw that Of
the people," On the contrary, the fifty thous-
and Federal ofice-holders in 1874. were just %
virtuous class as any other in the country.
Not from the professional, not from the com-
mercial, nor the mechanical, nor the asricul-
tural, nor the ecclesiastical, nor the reform
ranks of this country could $4,000 man be Sc
lected in the same manner as we're the Federal
officers, who sho uld be more respectable, more
intelligent than the $4,000 postmasters, supervi-
sors, controllers, Secretaries and clerks Of the
Departments. 1 deny Mr. Eaton's statement
not simply in general way, but deny 1t on
the very points which Mr.. Eaton brings for.
ward to prove 1t.
he says: "When unimpeached offenders sat
in the Cabinet"
Unmpeached offenders did not sit in the
Cabinet. The one inpeachable offender in the
Cabinet fled from 1t so quickly after his offence
was discovered that the same wires which
flashed his crime over the country flashed also
his flight, and when the impeaching power
turned to look upon him he was gone. 1t may
be question whether be should have been al
lowed to resign, but there is no question wheth-
or he was allowed to stay. Will Mr. Eaton
name the unimpeached offenders who sat Q
single day in President Grants Cabinet after
they were discovered to have committed i'm
peachable offences2 Until he does this, be is
In the position of q mau who, instead Of affirm
ing the truth, has affirmed the exact, the cir
cuustantial and the conspicuous opposite Of the
truth.
The second count in Mr.. Eaton's Indictment
is, "Wheu salary grab bills could pass Con-
gress."
Salary-grab bills did pass Congress. but "a
person of intelligence" must be supposed to
know that Congress is not a constituent part of
the Federal office-holding body. However low
in NJ oral tone Congress may bs, it is outside
the Civil. Service. congressman are not Fed
eral officers. They might lower the average of
the people," but not the average Of Civil
Service officers. They are not appointed by
the President, nor upon political recommenda-
ton; and no competitive examination and no
Civil Service reform will touch them Good or
bad, they are elected by the peopls-ths very
''peopls" whose moral tone is SO far above
that Of official life. 1t may also be remarked
here that moral and indignant "peopls" have
Congress, to be installed in the Speakers chair
of the House of Representatives. and have
sent notorious and unblushing salary-grabber
to Congress from not only the Reform State,
but from what, in the light Of the ardent an
thusiasm Of the Worcester Convention, might
almost be called the Reform School of Msssa-
chusetts. Indeed, do not at this moment
recall the name of single ''salary ry-grab', can
didate, who has stood for election since that
time, who has been defeated on account of his
sAlarycgrab, while it is noticeable that the very
next Congress repealed the bill sltoge ther.
But whatever may b. the inIqoity Of the "sal-
ary.grao, the Civil Service had nothing 70 do
with It, II may have been the low water mark
OF morality among the people, but 1t was en-
tlrely outside of "0ffical life.
Mr.. Eaton says thirdly, when great officers
were drawn into Credit Mobilier frauds"
What great officers were drawn into Credit
Mobilier frauds? never heard that any officer
of the Civil Service, great or small, was ever
go much as accused OF being drawn into or In
any way responsible for or connected with
Credit Mobilier frauds. Several members Of
Congress were charged with these frauds; bot
officers. Two of these members We're ceusurrd
BY the House of Representatives, aud both OF
them died before the reassemoling Of the next
Congress. Every other member who Was
prominently CONNECTED or cn.rxed w,th tho
credit MUb'her was trinm pha utls and def spily
rrturued TO the House oy "lbe people," after
Ill The iuvrstig alton aud exposure. 80 that II
th' re was spy 'frsud' IN it, IG was adoplsd
,od eooo sed by th- very "peopie" sh 's- pur-
i's is So much greater than that of ",fhcal
To-" AD0ug the accused w'r, Two ce-
Presidents, out IN no sense Is the iuig1ity of
V'ce-Presldents chargeable to the Civii S-rv,ce,
since they are not appointed nor recommended,