The National tribune., 1882-12-07

/ doubts whether they, or any or them, would
/ afford adequate remedy for the evils which
| they aimed to correct.
| declared, nevertheless that if the proposed
/ measures should prove acceptable to Congress,
/ they would receive the unheSitating support OF
! the Executive
Since these suggestions were submitted for
| your consideration there has been no legislation
! upon the subject to which they relate, but
! there has meanwhile been an increase in the
| public interest in that subject, and the people
of the country apparently without distinction
! of party, have in various ways, and upon tre-
! queHt occasions, given expression 10 thelr
| earnest wish for prompt and definite action.
! In my judgment, such action should no longer
DC postponed.
| l may add that my own sense of its pressing
| Importance has been quickened by observation
of a practical phase of the matter, to which
attention has more than once been called by
my predecessors.
/ The civil list now comprises about 100000
! persons far the larger part of whom must,
under the terms of the Constitution, be selected
| by the President either directly or through his
own appOintecs.
In the early years of the administration Of
the Government the personal direction of ap-
! pOntments to the civil service may not have
been an rllsome task to the Executive; but now.
! that the burden has increased fully n hundred
fold, it has become greater than he ought TO
/ bear and it necessarily diverts his time and
attention from the proper discharge OF other
duties no less delicate and responsible, and
| which in the very nature of things, cannot be
| delegated to other hands.
In the judgment of not a few who have given
| study and reflection to this matter, the Nation
has outgrown the provisions which the C0nstl-
| tuition has established for filling the minor
Offices in the public service.
But whatever may be thought of the wisdom
/ 70
| law in this regard, it is certain that much re-
| lief may be afforded, not only to the President
| and to tho heads Of the Departments but to
| Senators and Representatives in Congress, by
| discreet legislation. They would be protected
in great measure by the bill now pending be-
fore the Senate, or by any other which should
| embody its important features, from the pres
sure of personal importantly and from the
labor of examining conflicting claims and pre-
| tensions 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 | assure
| you Of my hearty cooperation in any measures
| which are likely to cOnduce to that end.
As to the most appropriate term and tenure
Of the official life Of the subordinate employees
| Of the Government, it seems to be generally
! agreed that whatever their extent or character,
the one should be definite and the other stable,
! and that neither should be regulated by zeal in
the service of party or fidelity to the fortunes
! of an individual.
1t matters little to the people at large what
| competent person is at the head of this Depart
ment or of that bureau, if 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 triumph 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 1 have already
| referred, exclusively applies.
While neither that bill nor any other prOmi-
| ncnt scheme for improving the civil service
| concerns the higher grade of officials, who are
| appointed by the President and confirmed by
! the Senate, l feel bound to correct a 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 rs follows:
| The whole number of Executive appoint
ments during the four years Immediately pre-
ceding Mr.. Garfield's accession to the presi-
| deGcy was :, 696.
! OF this number pa, or 9 per cent involved
! the removal of previous incumbents.
| The ratio of removals to the whole number
/ of appointments was much the same during
/ each of these four years.
In the first year, with 100 appointments,
there were n removals, or 9.3 per cent; in the
second, with 917 appointments, there were So
removals, or S.5 per cent; in the third, with
/ $50 appointments, there We're As removals or 10
per cent; in the fourth, with 429 appointments,
there were 81 removals. or SO per cent. In
/ the four months of President Gartield's admin
/ istrItion there were 800 appointments and 50
removals, or 22.7 per cent. Precisely the same
number of removals (S9) has taken place in
the fourteen months which have since elapsed,
but they constitute only rs per cent. of the
whole number of appointments 1,11S) within
that period and less than 90 of the entire list
of officials (3459-exclusve of the Army and
Navy which is filled by Presidential appoint
mcnt.
declare my approval of such legislation as
may be found necessary for supplementing the
existing provisions of law in relation to politi
I cal assessments.
In July last | authorized public announce,
mCnt that employees of the Government should
regard themselves as at liberty to exercise their
pleasure in making refusing to make politi-
cal contributions, and that their action in that
regard would i'll no manner affect their official
status.
In this announcement ! acted upon the view
| which had always maintained and still main
tain, that public Oftcershould be as absolutely
free as any other citizen to give or TO withhold
contribution for the aid of the party Of his
choice 1t has, however, been urged, and
doubtless not without foundation in fact that
by solicitation of official 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 their collection should be pro-
hibitcd by law. A bill which will cfTectually
suppress them VIII receive my cordial ap-
prevail
CONCLUSION.
After alluding to the requir ements of the
District Of Columbia and the propriety of legis-
!atng on the disputed points touching the
Presidential succession in the case Of the in
ability of the President to discharge his duties,
before another national election, the President
concludes his message as follows:
The closing year has been replete with bless
ings for which we owe to the Givcr of all Good
our reycrcnt acknowledgment. For the unn-
tcrruptcd harmony of our foreign relations for
the decay of sectional animosties, for the exu-
baTance Of our harvests and the triumphs Of our
mining and manufacturing industries, for the
prevalence OF health, the spread Of intelligence
and the conservation of the public credit, for
the growth Of the country in all the elements
OF national greatncss-fOr these and countless
other blcs5ings-We should rejoice and be glad.
| trust that, under the inspiration OF this great
f,~IsnaritN- cDunSrlS may he h1TmOuiOrIS