The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-07-23
Our New York Letter.
vice Reform in Practice-The seceders of
fS7I.
NEW YORK. Iulq %. 1878.


ulations as coming within this rule. Promo
tions are to be made from among the deputies
upon such evidences OF fitness as may be ELECTED
by competitive examination. Not the slightest
attention has been paid to this article of the
creed in the selection Of either of the three
persons just appointed ad interim. Two of
them, to be sure, we're transferred from one
branch of service to another, but there was not
even thel show of endeavoring to ascertain
whether they were the superiors or for that mat
ter the equals of those who were entitled under
the civil service theory to enter the lists as ri
walls for the coveted promotion. 10 the case of
the surveyorship, new and untried man was
taken, and the claims of the dozen candidates
whom Mr.. Curtis's doctrine holds to be exclu-
svely eligible were contemptuously disregarded.
We have a remarkable example of the differ
ence between precept and practice in this Gus
tom house business. The President has talked
and written enough in praise of civil service re-
form to convey the impression that he was thor
oughly .enamored Of it. Who could have imag-
ined after reading his letter of acceptance, his
inaugural, or any of his subsequent utterances
that there was anything quite so near his heart
as the complete publication of official life of
every speck of the dross of worldliness or sell
fishness?
On the other hand Gen. Arthur has been
commonly held to be somewhat lax in respect
of such matters-not so much so as to subject
him to moral discipline, perhaps-indeed, that
was tried often and eagerly without success
but still he was thought to be rather too much
of politician to be up to the exalted mark
which the authorities at Washington had set
up for the guidance of all the functionaries of
their choice. Now let Us look at the facts:
Gen. Arthur hasn't made an appointment for
the last four years, without first requiring of
the applicant certificate from the Examining
Board that he was fit to perform the duties Of
the position he sought. If the President or his
advisers have pursued like course in sim
gle instance, they have practised concealment
of the fact strikingly in contrast with the
habitual advertisement of their doings which
they are accustomed to dress Dp and dissem-
nate through the dispatches of the associated
prass. And what's more they must have had
very indifferent set of examiners, for the
appointments that have been made thus far
average a good ways below the standard
of any preceding Republican administration.
The truth is they had their particular friends to
provide for, and these friends didn't happen to
come up to the average in point of merit. 1t
was unfortunate that there was so much pro-
clamation in advance of the design to elevate
the service because that circumstance attracted
still more attention to the numerous instances
in which things were done that tended to dete-
Cir Daf nj. Il, Il dicoov
ing the baseness of Joseph Surface would not
have been anything like so overwhelming if
the arch hypocrite hadn't previously hum
bugged him with SO many gushes of noble
sentiments Bat if the violation of the prom
ises to improve the civil service is an offepss
in morals, the effort to breathe the breath Of
life into the dry bones of the faction that de-
serted the Republican party in 1871 is blum
der in politics. The originators of the disrep-
utable crusade against Grant were few in num-
bers Insignificant in influences. and inordinately
selfish of purpose. The movement began in
this State and was inspired solely by dissatis.
faction at the distribution of federal patronage.
1t could have been tn warted at any time by toss
ing to the malcontents few cr1mbs of execu-
tive favor. Gen. Grant, with characteristic nde-
psndence sternly refused to resort to any such
methods of conciliation. Enraged at his firmness
the leaders organized conspiracy sent contest
ing delegates to the State convention, and tried
as hard as they could to accomplish the disin.
tagration.o of the party The Stalwart' Re-
publicans of New York encountered them at
Syracuse, turned them out of doors and set
them adrift to form new alliances. The result
vindicated the wisdom as we'll as the justice of
this policy. The Republican State ticket was
elected for the first time in five years, and the
Lsgis lature carried handsomely. The elected
cabal patched up coalition with the Demo-
Gratis and went about wildly shreking in hid
eous chorus the refrain "Any-thing- beat
Grant, A few recruits from other states
joined them The law of gravitation carried to
their camp number of other decayed politicians
who had real or fancied grievance. The Demo
cratic party, enfeebled by the burden of its bad
record and admonished by innumerahle defeats
in the past, of the futility of trying to succeed
by itself was open to any arrangement that
promised it new lease of life. 1t was very
much in the condition of the drunken man who
encountered boon companion that had stag.
gered into the gutter and was appealing to him
for help. 81 can't lift you up" hiccoughed
the reeliDg inebriate conscious of the extent to
which his excuses mad disabled him, "but
will lie down along side of your This was the
bond of fellowship which united them, and they
lay in that embrace all the while the grand
procession of Republicans was making its til
umphal march. They had just enough strength
of lung to articulate string of incoherent NAL.
edictions all the while the imposing cavalcade
was moving.
Among the seceders from Rspublcanism
who cast themselves into this defamatory juntc
there has scarcely been survival. The newly
appointed Collector was one Of the earliest tc
manifest penitence for his escapade, and being
personally what is porularly known as ''clev
er fellow he was after three or four years
probation accorded place on the State ticket,
and shared the defeat of his colleagues. When
Gen. Sharpe's commission as surveyor expired
Gen. Merritt was assigned to the position by
President Hayes The Republicans ara mag
unanimous, and no objections of any account
were made to this appointment. But when il
comes to bestowipg upon him the highest office
in the State it is altogether a different affair
and cannot fail to intensity the dissatisfaction
which i; felt among Republicans who have
never wavered in their feal.y to the cause, al
the conduct of the administration. 1t is bad
enough to have trumped up excuses for sus'
pending Gen. Arthur in defiance of the pledges
of the inaugural, the will of the Senate and the
voice Of the people. But to have set over him
man who was once deserter from the ranks
whose residence is far in the interior and whose
political associations are likely to subject him
to the Importantly of the most ravenous set o.
| office beggars the world has ever known looks
| like deliberate attempt to imperil the success
of the party in the State of all others that it i;
most important the Republicans should carry
this fall in order to have suitable vantage
| ground for the next Presidential campaign
Ii is question, however, whether the part,
will not be stronger with the pronounced oppo
sitiou than with the passive support of th,
administration. There is no doub at any rate
but that there will be vigorous contest ani
| if it were not for the element of uncertainty
thrown into the canvass by the third part.
combinations it would be reasonably safe t.