Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-03-09
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

The New York Naval Officers Removal and
Resolutions Passed by the
Executive Committee of the National
League.
New YORK, March SIN the executive
committee of the national civil service re-
form league, George William Curtis, pres
ident, after expressing sits high sen Sc of
the signal ability, fidelity and success,
with which, by general consent, Silas W.
Burt had discharged the duties of naval
officer of the port of N. Y" adopted the
following:
RESOLVED, That the removal of such an
officer, effected by his nomination to an
other position, although involving on his
part great and unnecessary personal sacri-
fee, might have been regarded as intended
to promote reform, had he been replaced
by a successor equally interested and zeal
Gus in reform system; but the substitu-
ton for a late naval officer of gentle
man without experience in the duties of the
office, and unfriendly to reform, at time
when absolute fidelity to It's principles in
this leading Office is of the utmost impor-
lance to the success of the::system, not only
in New York, but in the whole country,
forbids that view, and Mr.. Burt's accept
ance of the nomination offered him would
have produced a false impression that he
held his removal and appointment in his
place of an opponent to the new system
would be in accordance with the princi-
pies of reform. We, therefore, regard
his removal, however ingeniously
devised, as a serious blow at reform in its
stronghold; grave embarrassment of the
work of the civil service commission, and
a violation of those sound principles of ad-
ministration which the country has ap-
proved, and which the president has com
mended in two messages to congress and
which congress has enacted into law.
ResOIred, That while the nomination of
members of the civil service commission
indicates due regard for the public senti-
ment which demands reform,
the removal of Mr.. Burt,
which certain other removals
and appointments shows that the course of
the administration upon this subject is
doubtful and uncertain, and not based up
on the fundamental principles of the re-
formed systems, namely, that appointive
on ces are public trusts in which proved
capacity and fitness should be retained,
unless the public welfare, without regard
to supposed personal, partisan or factional
interests, requires change.
Resolred, That in view of the action of
the administration in regard to the naval
officers and of the difficulties of many kinds
which will embarass the work of the civil
service commission, we earnestly recon-
mend to every association composing the
national league, not to relax its diligence
in exposing the abuses and evils which it
is the object of the com
mission to correct; in insisting that
the late law to promote reform,
passed in obedience to the public senti-
ment, shall be enforced according to its
spirit and purpose, no less than its letter,
and in demanding the repeal of the act of
1920 limiting the terms of important Off
GERS to four years, which, by periodically
vacating all such Offices, enables mere per-
sonal and partisan objects to be accom-
plished, without odium and arbitrary and
causeless removal.