The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-10-20

| law in this regard. il ia certain that much
relief may be afforded. not only TO the
! President and TO the heads Of the depart
ments, but TO Senator's and Representatives
in Congress by discreet legislation. They
| would be protected in great measure by
| the bill now pending before the Senate. or
| by any other which should embody its iu-
portant features, from the pressure OF per-
soual importantly and from the labor of ex-
amining conflicting claims and pretensions
of candidates. trust that before the close
of the present session some decisive action
may be taken for the correction of the evils
which inhere in the present methods
of appointment, and L assure you
of my hearty cooperation in any
measures which are likely to conduce to
that end AS for the most appropriate terms
and tenure of the official life of the subordi-
nate employees of the government, il seems
10 be generally agreed that whatever their
extent or character, the one should be def
mite and the other stable, and that neither
should be regulated by zeal iii the service of
party or fidelity TO the fortunes of an irftli-
vidual. 1t matters little to the people at
large what competent person is at the
head of this department or of that
bureau il they feel assured that
the removal of one and the accession of
another will not involve the retirement of
honest and faithful subordinates, whose
duties are purely administrative and have no
legitimate connection with the triumphs OF
any political principles or the success of any
political party or faction. 1t is to this latter
class of officers that the Senate bill to which
/ have already referred exclusively applies.
While neither that bill nor any other
prominent scheme for improving the
civil service concerns the higher grade
of officials, who are appointed by
/ the President and confirmed by the
/ Senate, | feel bound to correct prevalent
misapprehension as to the frequency with
which the present Executive has displaced
| the incumbent of an Office and appointed
another in his stead 1t has been repeatedly
alleged that he has in this particular signally
departed from the course which has been
pursued under recent administrations of the
| government. The facts are as follows: The
whole number of Executive appointments
| during the four years Immediately preceding
| Mr.. Garfeld's accession TO the presidency was
| 1856. OF this number PA or nine per cent,
! involved the removal of previous incum-
bents. The ratio of removals to the whole
number of appointments was much the Same
! during each of those four years. In the first
year, with 100 appointments there were
seventy-four removals, or 9.3 per cent. in
the second, with 9l7 appointments, there were
! eighty five removals, or So per cent On tho
third, with 4SO appointments there were
| forty-eight removals, or ten per cent. on
| the fourth, with 43O appointments there were
| thirty-seven removals, or SO par cent.
! In the four months of President Gar
fields administration there were SO appoint
meuts and eighty-nine removals, or 227
per cent. Precisely the same number of re-
movals eighty -nine) has taken place in the
| fourteen months which have since elapsed;
but they constitute only 7-S per cent. of the
whole number of appointments (11-S) within
that period and less than 2-6 per cent. of the
entire list of officials (3,459) exclusive of the
army and navy, which are filed by presiden-
tlal appointments.
POLITICAL ASSESSMENTS.
1 declare my approval of such legislation
! as may be found necessary for supplement-
| ing the existing provisions of law in relation
TO political assessments. In July last | au-
thorized public announcement that en-
ployes of the government should regard
themselves at liberty to exercise their pleas
ure in making or refusing to make politi-
cal contributions, and that their action
in that regard would in no manner
affect their official status. In this announce
ment / acted upon the view which had al
ways maintained and still maintain, that
public officer should be as absolutely free as
any other citizen to give or to withhold a
contribution for the aid of the political party
of his choice. 1t has, however, been urged, and
uoubtless not without foundation in fact,
that by solicitation of superiors and by
other modes. such contributions have at times
been obtained from persons whose only
motive for giving has been the fear of what
might befall them if they refused. 1t goes
without saying that such contributions are
not voluntary, and in my judgment the col
lection should be prohibited by law. A bill
which will eifectually suppress them will re-
ceive my cordial approval
DISTRICT AFFAIRS
hore that however numerous and urgent
may be the demands upon your attention,
the interests of this district will not be for
gotten. The denial of its residents the great
right of suffrage in all its relation to national
fatA
gress the duty of affording them the best .ad-
ministration which its wisdom can devise
The report of the District commissioners in
dicates certain measures whose adoption
would seem to be very desirable. l instance
in particular those which relate to arrears of
taxes, to steam railroads, and to assessments
of real property.
TIE PRESIDENTIAL VOTE.
Among the questions which have been the
topic of recent debate in the halls of Con-
gress none are of greater gravity than those
relating to the ascertainment of the vote for
Presidential electors and the amendment of
the constitution III its provisions for devolv-
ing Executive functions upon the Vice
President wnen the PRESIDENT suffers from
inability to discharge the powers and duties
of his Office. | trust that no embarrassment
may result from failure to determine
these questions before another national cleo
ton.
NATIONAL BLESSINGS.
The closing year has been replete with
blessings, for which we owe to the Giver of
all Good our reverent acknowledgment. For
the uninterrupted harmony of our foreign
relations for the decay of sectional anmos-
tiles for the exuberance of our harvests
and the triumphs of our mining and
manufacturing industries; for the prev
alence of health, the spread of
intelligence and the conservation of
the public credit, for the growth of the coun-
try in all elements of national greatness
for these and countless other blessings we
should rejoice and be glad. | trust that,
under the inspiration of this great prosperity,
our councils may be harmonious, and that
the dictates of prudence, patriotism, justice
and economy may lead to the adoption of
measures in which the Congress and the
Executive may heartily unite.
CHESTER A. ARTHUR.
Washington, December 4, 1882.