Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-05-15
A CHRONIC OFFICE SEEKER.
Why Deb. Randolph Keim was Distaste-
ful to the President

=" ny OC0s ANahoolpn Aelm was DlStaSfe-
full to the President.
WASHINGTON, May 14.-As was pre
dicted in the News some time ago De B.
X. keim failed to make the rifle and will
not be Examiner of the Civil Service Com.
mission. Keim failed to have a commission
issued to him, not because of any scandal
or tenable bad charge that could be put
against hlm, but because of his being
such a funny selection. 1t made the
country laugh. Like many other men he
was Killed by ridicule. The gentleman
VINO is really to be the Examiner of the
! commission is peculiarly fitted for the
/ place. He occupied similar relations to
! the old civil service commission. Yes. Mr..
/ Chas. Ly man is we'll educated gentleman
| ntted thoroughly for the position to
| which he Is called. 1t may be that there
I IS such contrast between him and Kejm
that he is getting more praise than he
| deserves. But there is no doubt of his
entire capability of performing the duties
OIL his position. The way in which Keim's
appointment was allowed to hang fire.
ana hnally failed, is an instance of a rare
tact that President Arthur has often dis
prayed IN the exercise of the appointing
power. He told the commissioners that
any man recommended by them should be
appointed. They recommended Keim.
As keim was known at the White
House to be something of
chronic office-seeker. Arthur did
not look upon the selection as admirable
from all points of view. He, however.
appointed kelm. But he did not issue
hlm commission. He promptly gave if
out from the White House that Kefm was
appointed. And then he waited and al
lowed the Civil Service Commissioners TO
watch the storm that had been of their
brewing. The members of the commits
sion did not like the way the lightning
Duzzed and the thunder howled. But
they did not want to acknowledge that
one of their very first acts had been a
DIuhderlng mistake. So they held on to
keim. The President did not issue
the commission, but still allowed
Messrs. Eaton, ThOman and Gregory
to watch the lightning and listen
TO the thunder. Greatly against
their Will they finally had to acknowledge
their error, and recommend another man
than Keim. That man, Mr.. LYMAN. the
PRESIDENT promptly appointed and com
nlsslOned. MIR. Lyman has long been in
the government service, and will bring to
his duties as Chief Examiner practical
knowledge and experience which, it is
pretty well established by this time, the
commission stands in need of.
The memory of Hayes does not hang
around the government offices with a halo
Tor an outfit. You don't hear any one
speak well of him there To-day a cor
rectiOn was made to remark that
had been uttered by visiting politician
IN regard to Hayes, which pretty we'll
illustrates how his memory is revered,
The scene was the room of one of the
prominent officials Of the Post Office De-
partment. In talking about some cam
palgn experiences up IN Pennsylvania the !
visiting politician said: "WelI, / was
detailed to 60 to Harrisburg, where | was
to meet Hayes and another man." HAHOw- |
me to correct yOu," said the official in
whose room the conversation was held. |
"Please say Hayes and manu.
An intimate friend of President Arthur |
that is, about as intimate a friend as
any one who did not grow up with him
ever gets to be-tOld me to-day that the |
idea that the President was looking ont /
Tor second term was sail rot" The |
President has never shown in any public |
act that he wanted another turk at the |
helm. But somehow there have been |
various guesses and surmises, and various |
carefully delmeated and detailed exposi- |
tl0ns OF dark schemes by which he is sup |
posed to be cOnniving for future advance
ment. My informant said that he had |
talked with the President on this very !
point. The President did not unbosom
himself-he is not one of the unbosoming
klnd-but enough was said to warrant |
the statement that the present Executive
has no more idea of succeeding himself |
and no more intimatiOn of trying to do so
than he has of committing suicide. The
president is not only not thinking about
further advancement, but is not giving |
much thought, if any, to the question of |
who viii next occupy the White House,
lie is trying to get along for the balance |
OF his term as smoothly as possible and to
W hen you come to look at it these state |
ments certainly bear the practical ap- !
pearance of being about the correct things. |
Inc PRESIDENT is at the present |
date man with no political |
atfiliations to think of outside of /
being member of the Republican party. |
lie is not the member of any clique andis |
not the head of any faction. When he |
came in 1t was with the hatred of the half |
breeds. He could not have gained the |
good will OF that faction of his party by |
any course that he might have pursued. !
The half-breeds were determined, CALLED |
at his succession, not to give him credit |
for anything, and not to look with any eve |
but that of harsh criticism upon what he !
did. The stalwarts expected him to be of !
their very kind and to run the government |
for their sole benefit and the qualification of |
their hatred for the half-breeds. He has |
not done it. They have fallen off from /
him, and say that he is no President at |
all. Many of them speak in the most
derisive terms of him. The President |
has tried to placate no faction of the Re-
publican party. He is practically alone. |
1t is certainly not very likely that under
these circumstances he is either intrigu-
ing for succession or the power of naming
his successor.
The wOrkingmen are beginning to at
tack Secretary Lincoln, who is posing
with a very neat conviction that the Re-
publican lightning will next year strike
mighty near where he is standing. Lin
coin refused to make eight hours days
work for the labOring men under
the War Department. When he made
that refusal it was fOregone fact that
he would hear from it. But it was not
thought that the returns would come in
so soon. But the wOrkingman hostility to
him is breaking out all around. 1t is being
manguvred from this point and seems to
have good deal of system about it. 1t
is quite active now. 1t may cause Mr..
LincOln's boom some grave Inconvenience.