The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-02-08
A SOUND DOCTRINE.
ENFORCE IT, MR.. PRESIDENT.

ENFORCE 1T, MR.. PRESIDENT
The Presidents message to the SEN
ate last week. relative 10 the coniro.
verSv with Collector Arthur and Naval
Officer Cornell. of New York. wherein
he states Succincrlv and definitely the
causes Of their removal j. being gencr-
ally commented on very favorablv bv
the friends of the Administration. A. an
earnest of the Presidents consistent en-
furccmcnt of his civil service reform
ideas, and of his determination to put
an end TO the partisan management Of
the custom houses al other ports For
" a long period. saws the President, O." ii
" (the New York Custom House, has
" been used Ia manage and control pu-
"litical affairs. The officers suspended
by me Mcssrs Arthur and Corncill
ARE. and for several wears have been.
engaged in the dcfirs personal manage
''me"t IF NE purity polH ~ nj e city and
- STATE Of -Ntw YorL TIE duties Of tie
"ofices held By them haze been regarded as
- subordinate in Importance 10 their partisan
".coIk. Their offices hdr, jteH conducted as
part ot tie political maciiHcry under ,,bisi,r
:" control. They haze mad, he Custom,
: House a center = partisan political man
dlsi".snt. Tie Custom House should be Il
cuisines office. II shouid be conducted on
business principles.
Convinced that the people of
- New York and the country generally
wish the New York Custom House To
e lie administered solely with view to
the public interest, i, is my purpose
Ito 90 all within nv power To introduce
- into this great Office The reforms which
" the country desires With NV iuiur-
NATION of the facts in The case. and
with deep sense of the responsible
" obligation imposed upon me by the
Constitution 10 lake care that the
" laws he faithfully executed, | regard
1T as my plain duty to suspend the
- officers in question and to make the
" nominations. now before. the Senate. in
:" order that this important office NAV be
- honestly and efficiently administered. 3"
Accepting the Presidents message in
the best faith which. for the sake of The
argument, We assume the Senate did in
confirming his New York nominees. and
without making any captiou- inquiry.
as To how the standard Of character in
the public service, Will he elevated nv
the removal Of one oiliccr-Gen. Arthur
for being too much Of politician. To
make way for an1ther-t;rn. Merritt.
who has never been any thing Int n
politician, let Us di>passionatelv inquire
how, in view of the Presidents own
language not fortnight old. that anna
"'' SVH'i'"i"H an" N'iti"H 'diiI>dH.
John L. Thomas. Jr.. at present Cullcc-
tor of the port al Baltimore. can escape
the Presidential condemnation for his
partisan political sins and for which
the New York Collector has lust paid
he penalty Of his oilicia. head. In
other words. if the righteouS-fur Ger
tainlv Gen. Arthur l. incomparablv Mr..
Ihoma. superior in political honesty
and personal capacity. scarcely be saved,
where viii the ungudv and the sinner
Mr.. Thomas-appear; The President
has clearly d, fined the Administration
standard of official record and behavior
He will tolerate no man as the official
beai of 4 custom house. no is actively
engaged in local politics, aud who makes
his Office the center of partisan Jyliiicai
management BY tbs sin fell Arthur
How, then, can Thomas stand approved
IN the courts OF the Administration .
The President Will counlcnancc no man
As collector, who conducts his Office a.
part Of the political machinsry under las
coHfrSl. John l.. Thomas certainly is "a
political Daniel come to Judgment lie
neither had the necessary record to Sc
cure ii, nor has he, since his appoint.
ment 10 the Collcctorship. conducted
his Office hv such methods a. can re-
tam 1t under consistent cntcrprcla.
ton of this declaration OF the President.
imprimis. Mir Thomas obtained the Office
of Collector upon the grosscst mrsrep.
| resentation To the President of his char.
actcr and status. as well as to the facts
relative I" his former displacement bv
President Grant Not merely as n par.
tIsan politician. upon whom rested the
damaging suspicion Of some Of he black.
est political work that had ever dis.
graced the municipal government of the
city of Baltimore, but also as faction
lst within his own party. supported bv
hungry crew of chronic oflicc->cckcrs,
selected for their aptness in manipulai
ing primaries and CARRYING ward dele
cations hv the dark and questionable
methods 50 familiar TO the lowest order
OF Baltimore politicians, had he been
long aud unfavorably known in Mary