The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1880-12-02

Nsn. Garfield has had no time - ~ sinee|
rdaeaing Washington. Last sstnrd15 1setl
ace whiss and r. W. whitridge, rspesss1a-
ing thss1hdependent Republisan osgsslss.'
tion ~ New York, called ON the Preadfnt-
-ssset and presented him with the AbaigNing
memorial: ss
SIR-The Independent Republican Associ-
ton Of New York congratulate you upon the
result Of the recent National election, which
they deem most propitious as significant Of
the. popular approval Of the principles with
which you have long been identified, and
gives reasonable assurance that you will be
sustained BY public opinion in your endeaS-
orr to carry the same into effect. Your ut
terasces in C ngress on the condition and
needs Of sivil service, and the very elective
support which you gave in the Chicago Con-
vention to the resolutions there adopted In
that behalf, and which constitutes . part Of
the platform Of the Republican party, i'm
PEELED Us to give you our cordial support in
the late campaign, aud inspires US with con-
fidence that your administration will justify
the promise of 80 noble Q record. The dam
gers to our political system arising from
savage contest every four years. extending
over the entire continent and penetrating
all ranks Of society, respecting the distribu-
ton Of the Federal Offices. seem TO US ex-
tremeIy grave History teaches that the
things me st TO be guarded against in Re
public is excess Of party rage. This spirit,
always sufficiently active under free gov.
eminent. Is stimulated and augmented to an
alarming degree by the spoils system. which
regards all Federal Offices as prizes Of the
majority, and which would have snatched
from the whole body Of present incumDents
their means of livelihood il few thousand
votes in the State which were east for your
self had been cast for Gen. Hancock. Is 1t
not apparent that the greed and terror in
spired by such system must add largely to
the heat and fury and the attendant dangers
of our National elections. and increasing rs
the country grows in population and FEEDER
al patronage becomes more extensive: No
other civilized government exposes its pub
lie servants to the dangers Of beggary upon
| the hazard of an election, or would expect
1
tions. We are aware that this subject is
hedged about with difficulties, and that the
abuses Of half ccntury's growth are not to
be rooted up in day. Webelieve, however,
that public opinion is in advance Of any re-
form Of civil service hitherto attempted. and
that you may safely establish rules for the
entrance to all subordinate positions which
| shall make as certain list Of appointments,
discarding both partisan service and party
utilization from the list Of qualifications. In
this way new basis may be gradually gain
ed for civil service to rest upon, SO that here
after no political party, in its hour of triumph
shall look upon public Offices as an enemy's
camp, subject to indiscrimnate pilage. II
civil service shall receive the same states
manlike treatment at your hands as that you
have bestowed rpon it as q member Of Con-
gress and public teacher, you will be cnti-
tied to the gratitude Of your cOuntrymen
and TO the verdict which history rwards to
those who have wisely used great opportu-
mites
HORACE WHITE, President,
HENRY S. VANDuzEN, Secretary,
u. W. WHlTRIDGE,
| GEORGE WALTON GREENE,
| GEORGE HAVEN PUTNAM,
| FELIX KAUFMAN,
| MS. SPENCER,
| CLARENCE DEMING,
Executive committee of the Independent
Republican Association Of the country.
| Gen. Garfield received the paper, and en-
tered upon discussion of civil service, In
the course of which he said he hoped to have
the cooperation of Congress in establishih-
ing legal basis for all routine appointments
so that it should not be in the power Of any
body, even the President, to remove any ca