New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-24
TIE ADMINISTRATION.
TIE QUESTION OF "pERcEYTAGEs."

WASHINGTON, july 23.-Pr0bably when Mr. But
terworth made his recent speech in the House
upon the Administration. and declared that
two of the five removals the President
had made in New-York State were for cause that
nobody questioned or criticised" he did not expect
that the Senate few days after-with about one
thId of its members candidates for reelection and
a good deal more than one-third anxious to be on
the best terms possible with the Administration
would question" and "criticise" one of these
removals by majority of 80 to 2S, and refuse to
allow it TO be cOnsmmated. Other statements
made by Mr. ButterwOrth could be as effectively
questioned and criticised" perhaps as an examiu-
alton of the records will show anyone.
The revised ver'iOn Of the speech, by the way.
printed in The Record some time after its delivery.
does not differ upon the main points from the
speech rs delivered in the House. Mr.. Bu.terworth
praised Garfield and buried him. and proceeded to
show bv neat series of percentages that President
Arthur he'd made n much smaller proportion Of re-
moyals than President Garfield. Nr. Butterworh
drew no differences from this prcjulcial to General
Garfield and said he was prepared to defend both
Presidents; but the almost inevitable inference by
the superficial observer would he one unfayorablo
to the late President. 1t would certainly have
seemed faircr TO the dead " Friend" for whom Mr..
BaticTworth expressed, and no doubt feels, the
warnest affection; it would at least have been
more accurate # he had directed little attention
to the very different circumstances under which the
two Presidents came into office.
General Garfield became President under cream
stances which rendered a number of removals
almost inevitable He cane into Office with
larger following Of personal friends than any other
recent Presdent-larger, perhaps, than that OF any
other President His service IN tho Army, and his
nearly twenty-years' membership in the House, and
nd
given him an enormous acquiintanceship and con-
sttucncy Under these circumstances 1t was i'm
possible that he should into his Office entirely
free from the demands Of personal Friendships and
this result was doubtless seen in some OF the ap-
pointments that were made; though that
man has yet to make his appearance who
viii charge that any of them were
unfit or that they were made with the purpose Of
crushing any wing Of the party. certain number
of changes expected at the beginning OF every
Administration. and, strong as General Garfield WAS
in the hope that he should make his own memorable
by its advance IN the reform OF the Civil Service,
he could not make it, probably, an absolute excep-
ton to this rule.
But President Arthur did not begin any Admins
tration he took up the work of Administration
that had been cut short by bulldog pistol. He
came into power at time when the immediate re-
moval OF many officers for factional purposes
would have shocked every human sentiment and
the country in flame Of Indignation. IL seems
almost incredible in looking back at it now that q
bitter clique OF politicians should have urged the
President to do that very thing. They wanted Gar
fields friends swept out of Office before he was
fairly at rest i'm his grave. For resisting their indie
cent pressure, the President has had much more of
generous praise from his former opponents than
from his friends Under the circumstances it is
,,,+
more removals in four months than President
Arthur in ten months, for that is the whole
foundation of Mr. ButerW0rth's percentage.
Garielu made eiehty-nine removals and Arthur,
10 10 the time Mr. ButtcwOrh spoke, had made
forty-nIne removals out OF 4 much larger Imber of
appointments. OF course, tins assumes that the
figures riyen by hln ae correct. There is probably
no question of ,hls They were prepared by high
authority, and arc doubt i'll accordance win the
record, The fac that President Garfield made .Orty
more removals than President Arthdr Is one which
can be permitted TO make It's own defence and has
bearing on the character ana quality of President
AIthurs appointments OF the political tcndencl OF
his Administration.
Ihedlfiicutv has been as it has been stated before
that instead OF winning he confidence of his former
opponents, especially III he states OF New lOrk
and Pennsylvania whore the party Is most troubled
by internal is,en,Ons and in the grcat 0st need of
careful handling The President has made the lnl-
preston upon thcm that his policy was one OF care
fdl. deliberate e, persistent StalwarsnL Ii has not
o.en one nalf, One-tenth, rapid enough to suit
the ,talwarts themselves there has been good
deal of prOcrdNtlnaIOn about 1t from their point OF
view, ahd good deal OF hesitation; but the Sta-
waTt character of II las seemed 10 be steadily malu
tanned 1t was not necessary to mako many Re-
uioy al, to do this The Presidents critics from
New-York and Pennsylvania say. that the
rule has appear 10 tnem To be that, Whero Il
Staiwarts tenn has expired he has usually
been reappOuted, and where anlI-Stalwart's
has expired he mas usually reen replaced with Il
S:alwarr Ii does not need much arithmetic TO
show that this policy would gradually drit the !
S-alwarts into The offices without the scandal that
would follow removals Tor the sake OF putting them
there ana thdi cohtihua ot ,luLB 'he thl1e
years Ge erl Arthur Is still 10 be President, w0ud
WORK great change III the many thousands OF |
office, which fall vacant III RAPID succession under
the FOUR, ear terms.
Inc rutn of this is easily. apparent
from the fact that there 1856 Prcsl- |
dental Offices IN Pennsylvania, and President |
Arthur has made appointments already !
ior - Of them, or about 40 per ccnL In New-lork
there are 21U Presidential Offices, and the President
mas Il ready made nominations To 80 OF them, or |
about 30 per ConJ. There nave been - nominations
10 oices IN New York state, but three OF them were
successive nominations 10 one pldce-the weeds |
port Post once President Arthur came INTO Office
aurlng the first year Oi an Administration during |
whe,l under the operation OF ,hc tOur-ycar terms,
a large number OF Offices naturally Lul vacant. !
Most OF the mentioned aro those where terms
had expired, tAe fact being. Is IHG Tribune mas |
repeatedly Iccos sulzed thai the FIesidcnC has not
made many tecunlcal removals; though where such |
removals nave been made IL mas usually Dech,
as in tle case OF Internal Revenue COlIectots To
glYc nc once lnNoFth5 more p"tiOudSC IMAM VIC
aycr2 80 10 a 9aiWart
II yie one OF an Inquring turn OF mind cared 10
carry hr principle of percentages MO an eAallnd-
tion oI tllis phase Of PrUaldeul Artnurs appoint
ments. ne W0uid ina sOnc interesting results. For
tNa.ipiu, hc could begin on the CdDlntt, winch he
would lu contained ct1I" drts 10 The proportion ot
ST Der ceui. lac wound hnd that President Artuur
Lad nominated twenty -four Internal heY-
cnuc Collectors, two OF whom Add already
leon appoiAicd by Garfield duiing tho
rerr,. Ihese Offices. every politician
knows carry good deal Oi patronage ana III many
,I-.- are lrded as among the most Important
k..etal appointments III tner respective states.
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