San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1880-09-18

Tho luvorla0l0 rul0 Tor appointments
should have reference to the honesty,
fidelity and capacity Of .appointses.
giving to the party in power
those places where harmony and v;gor
Of administration require its policy 70
be represented, but permitting al!
Others to be filed BY persons selected
with sole reference 10 the efficiency OF
the public service, and the right OF
citizens TO share in the honor OF rem
derisg faithful service TO their coun-
try" $685..
On this platform, Governor Hayes
was nominated. and he emphasized it
in his letter Of acceptance, in his in.
augural address, and in his famous
civil service order, which followed .
few months later. By these docu.
meuts he unequivocally pledged him
self that Senator's and Representa-.
tiyes should not dictate appointments,
and that they were no longer to be
made merely as rewards for partisan
services that no officer should be 70.
quired or permitted to take part in the
management of political organizations.
caucuses, Conventions or election cam.
paigns; that no assessments for politl-
cal purposes on officers or subordinates
should be allowed, and that this rule
was applicable to every department OF
the civil service. Here were promises
and pledges quite as sweeping as those
which had been invariably trampled
under foot for eight years. How were
they carried out by the party under its
new leader? Some of you may re.
member the prophecy I made four
years ago, and my quotation from Sen,
ator Morton that in a Government of
parties, like ours, the President must
have his friends" and that "the ad.
ministratiou of any President will be,
in the main, what the party which
elected him makes it," That this
would prove true in the case of Mr..
Hayes was rendered certain during the
canvass. Morton, Conkling, Blaine,
Cameron and Chandler assumed ex.
aotly the same leadership as If Q po.
litician of their school had been nom.
mated. The administration OF Gener'
al Grant, which had brought the party
to the verge of ruin, was Endorsed by
the National Convention which nomi-
mated his successor. The managers OF
the canvass studiously avoided all re.
ference to civil service reform and the
letter of acceptance Of their candid.
ate, while their conduct constantly as.
sumed that his administration, should
he be elected, would be continuation
of that of General Grant. The can.
vass, in fact, was merely q renewal Of
the struggle between the policy OF
hate and tho policy Of reconciliation
which had so long divided the people.
and under cover of which the Repub-
lican leaders were still determined to
their hold on power. Gov,
ernor Hayes himself serenoly looked
on. and if he did not expressly sane
tion this mode. Of conducting the can
vass, he certainly could not have been
ignorant Of the issue on which the
battle was being waged and the meth
DDS employed to secure the victory.
His election, in short, was the unques-
tionable triumph Of the machine
politicians" and they had perfect
right to claim it as logically rebound
ing tn their glory and advantage.
It was not q matter of the least sur
prise therefore, that the civil service pol
icy Of the new President proved to be
perfect travesty of the party platform
and his own declarations. Indeed,
the very beginning of his administra-
ton was signalized by acts OF the most
recreancy to his pledges.
For several months following the cleo
ton the result was in doubt It depended
on the votes Of Florida and Louisiana,
and these were to be counted by State
officials of exceedingly bad repute.
NJ. L. Stearns was Governor Of Flor.
ida at the time, and contrary to law,
withheld from the Sildeu electors the
to which the returns
entitled them. and gave certificates to
the Hayes electors who had not re-
ceived q majority Of the votes of the
State. Stearns was defeated for Gov
eruor at the same election in which
Hayes was held to have carried the
State, and was subsequently appoint
ed one of the Hot Strings Commis.
with q compensation OF $40
per day. McLinn was one OF the
State canvassers, without whose arbl
trary acts in throwing out Democratic
votes Florida would have been count
ed for Tilden. He was rewarded by
the Office of Justice Of the Supreme
Court of New Mexico at salary OF
&, 900 per annum. DR. Cowgirl. an
other member of the Board of Can.
vassers, received an appointment in
the Treasury Department. which, for
some reason, be declined, while IL. u.
Dennis, Chairman of the Republican
Committee of Alschua County; Rich.
ard II. Black and Thomas II. Vance'
who acted as Inspector aud Clerk at
the election in that County; Joseph
Barnes Inspector Of Elections in
Leon County; james Bell. of Jefer-
son County, and j. w. Howell, slip
pery employe in the Office Of the Clerk
of Baker County. all received oficisl
recognition for diversified sets Of re-
eaiity and fraud connected with the
election. These were remarkable IL
ustrsticns Of the rule which made
honesty. fidelity asd saPicity. and