Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-12-20

DaiIu 7sfnnetrl journal.
Democratic Talk and Democratic
Performance.

senate IN laNoT OF CIVIL service rtloTu.
and supported it by an elaborate speech.
The bill purports to be a measure TO put
an end in large degree 10 partizan
serambles for office by making removal
and appointment to office depend upon
merit alone Mr. Pendle,on in his speech
SAYS;
If removals were only for cause of ineffi-
cheney or unfaithfulness or because another
was shown TO be filter and better. how little
would be the scramble for office This is the
merit system. Ii appoints men who are hon
est. capable and faithful. Ii keeps in SER
vice those who are proved 10 have such quail
iticatons Ii would set up the
adoption of principle, and not emolument,
AS the prize of party struggle. Ii would de-
stroy the dangerous quality, even if it should
not sensibly moderate, the zeal of party
spirit. - Ii would raise the temper and
style of public partisan discussion. 1t would
eliminate the brutality of our politics.
| If we turn from the talk made by Mr..
Pendleton in the United States Senate in
| favor of civil service reform to the acts of
Gov Plaisted in the State of Maine, we
shall discover that the course of the latter
in regard to removal and appointment is
almost Numerically opposed to The talk
of the former in the Senate. Senator
Pendleton talks well, but Gov. Plaisted
having little brief authority accidentally
| tall to him acts decidedly bad. Senator
Pendleton saws: "Remorals are seldom
asked for nndcr the spoils system, ercept
to make a racGncy for q particular
man" Gov. Plaisted removed the Mes
senrer of the Governor and Council to
make "A vacancy for his own son. He has
attempted to remove various officers in the
State solely because they are republicans
and he desires their Offices for his per-
sonal and party friends. Lastly he at
tempted to remove the Reporter of De-
cisions, competent. faithful officer. and
make vacancy for a particular man."
democrat of course. The Executive
Council refused to confirm the man NOM
mated. They denied the power Of the
Governor to remove the Reporter without
the concurrence of the Council They in
vited the Governor respectfully to ask the
opinion of the Justices of the Supreme
Court upon that question. He refused and
made futile attempt to abolish the Coun-
Gil for presuming to doubt his power of re-
moval and suggesting the submission
of the question in dispute to the Supreme
Court. The Council stood firm and them
selves submitted the question to the Court,
as they were empowered by the Constitu-
ton to do After months of waiting, an
answer came, in which the eight Judges
concurred in declaring that the Governor
had not the authority to remove the Re
porter except "by and wiM The consent o.
The Council." 1t might be supposed that
this would have satisfied the Governor and
prevented him going farther with his parti-
san spoiation schemes. But not so. He
ignores the Court, the Constitution and
the laws refuses to sign the warrant to
pay the Reporter his salary, and sets he
fore the country the perncious example
of the Chief Executive of the State reflls-
ing to yield obedience to the authority
| which he has sworn to obey. and which it
| is his duty to enforce upon all citizens un-
der the government over which he pre-
/ sides
| This case we commend to the attention
of Senator Pendleton and all other demo-
Gratis who denounce the "spoils system"
If they propose to make civil service re-
| form an issue in their next national plat
form, they cannot better show its necessi-
| ty than by reference to the acts of the iu-
sion Governor of Maine during this year
A. D. 1881.
| But the organs of Governor Plaisted give
out that he is not yet done with his efforts
to remove good and efficient republicans
from office and give their places TO his
political friends and favorites. The terms
Of certain county officers expire on the
first day OF January 1882. No election
was held this year TO supply new incum-
bents. and therefore the Governor will ap-
point persons to fill the vacancies which
NAV occur. 1t has been suggested to the
Governor that fair mode politically, and
good method practically. would be to
appoint the persons going out to continue
to fill their places until the people can
elect ipcumbents in the usual
manner This would continue green
back and democratic officers in
the counties where greenbackers
and democrats have a popular majority,
and continue republicans where the re-
publicans are in majority. II would
keep experienced. tried and competent
men in the offices they now hold. and con-
form admirably to the ideas advocated by
Senator Pendleton in his late speech from
which we have quoted. The Governor
will probably make the appointments very
soon, for the first day of January is close
at hand, and we shall then see whether he
will make the sweeping removals the
democratic organs proclaim, or whether
he will ignore the spoils system and adopt
the wiser and better course in favor oil
which Senator Pendleton has spoken.