New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-08
Hill Is REEORNi

The amateur statesmen who advise the
President to prove the sincerity OF his probes
sion, OF reform by running his head against
stone wall, have never given definition oi
r, form upon which it i possible To base any
practical plan Of action. That the renovation
of the Civil Service requires the removal OF
au officers who are not willing to conduct the
public affair, upcn bushes, principles, and the
destruction OF the vicious circle in which
olicr-boldcr, max, Senators AID Senators make
onirc-holdcr.. of cour-c everybody understands.
Bul when il comes TO details III" proper course
is not 50 clear. We are told now, for exam
,lc. that all reform mu,t halt until change
J., made i'm the Ncw-l ork Custom House, AID
il l., said that the President cannot assent to
the retention of Mc>-r~. Arthur and Cornell
without Sacrificing his s,lf-rc>poct and his
principles. lie must insist upon their removal.
But there are two Reasons why We think hc
should do 10 such thing. In the first place hc
I'm. no power to remove them. The Tenure
or-Ofice Act j, very clear in requiring that
no officer shall he deprived of his place before
The end of hi term except with the consent oi
the senate. AID it is notorious that the par
most. of thi5 act was to take away from the
*
discretion. Whether the Law IS good or
bad one, whether II conforms to the spirit oi
the CONSTITUTION OF does not conform to IT. We
are not 10 inquire. II is enough for II, II Is
caoug, for the President that 1t i the Law
and the Chief Executive ought to set the cX-
ample of faithfully aud chctliuily Observing
IT, The senate has been asked 10 consent to
the removal of these two Officers IN New
York. ana has refused. Perhaps it would have
been Wiser 70 consent, but IL voting No, the
Senate exercised q usit which the Law COM
mt, 10 IT, There the matter ought TO stop.
Tic President has exhausted his constitutional
pow,r,. and The sacrifice Of dignity would be,
no! in submission, but persistence.
In the second place. 1t has not been shown,
so far. that there j. any good reason Tor de
mauaipo The removal of Mc.,is. Arthur and
Cornell. II i, not enough 10 say that they are
the friend, of Senator who l. not friendly
to tbr President. or who does not believe in
Civil Service Reform; ii Is no matter who
n,rir friends are 50 long rs they do their
dnty. 1t is not enough To- say that they were
identified with the old order OF things; they
did not create it, and did not agSrayatc its
abuses. Ii is not enough 10 suspect that they
do not heartily sympathzc with the Presi-
dents views; suspicious and symplihcS are
not grounds for removal. NJ. Hayes himself
gave a comprehensive rule OF reform when he
promised that there should be no appointment,
cyccpt for merit, and no removals except
for cause. He must hold t. this promise,
the second clause of it rs we'll "A the first.
Not q single fact has yet been cited to prove
th1t these men are not honest and compctrn;
officers. They went into the Custom House
with instruction, from Washington 10 manage
il rs well a, thcy could Oh the old political
plan. and while We are utterly opposed to the
system, we must say in justice that the adj
miui.tration of the Custom House under Collect
or Arthur j. the most decent and efficient we
have had for Il long time. The Jay Com
mission has reported great many abuses and
pIopo- ii a great many reforms; bat Collector
Arthur had proposed the same changes before
tina, Commi-,io WAS thought of, and hi, reports
and suggestions may he found on the neglected
files OF the Treasury Department.
Unless facts Of winch the public has no
.r.picion can be brought against these officers,
fine attempt to remove them therefore il Il
violation of one Of the fundamental rules OF
reform. Let az have IN end of such fooling.
The country may hc safe, even though Arthur
and Cornell keep their places. II viii not be
safe while the President and the Senate are
at losgerhcads.