National Republican., 1884-09-12
COMPLIMENTS TO MIR. CURTIS.
An Old Government Employees Answer to the
Reformer's Impertinent Circular.

y
wAsHiSoroS Sept. Il, 1ssi.-GRoRoE WILL.
IAN CURTIS, ESQ, President Civil Service Re-
form Association--Dcdr SIR : Your circular "for
ofhceholderS," dated Aug. %, 1884, has been
received. II would afford mo much satisfac.
Ption to learn that there is in New York an asso.
citation competent to take care OF the affairs OF
the nation, and having time len over to detor.
mine what use individual officers of the gov.
erumcnt shall make Of their money, or any
part of Il which they may have saved after
paying current expenses, If | really feltunable
to settle that question for myself and really
knew that any considerable number Of people
in government service were in need of the
benevolent guardianship assumed by your as.
ISOLATION
have been in service good many years,
and take pleasure in stating that according to
the best of my observation, tho capacity OF
clerks In the departments here TO spend their
money as suits their tastes is not below the
average Of other free citizens of this republic,
and | would therefore recommend that the
gentlemen ofy your association who have leisure,
after taking care of their own affairs, expend
their surplus energies in attending to the
wants Of classes in nearer proximity to their
places of residence whose circumstances arc
such as to warrant friendly action without
raising any suspicion of impertinence.
Your circular seems to rest upon several as
sumptiOns, You assume that the clerks need
your overseership. That will hardly be re-
garded as compliment. You assume to be
the proper person to lead in the movement for
preventing them from spending their own
money In their own way. That will not gen
crally be allowed as indisputable. You quote
Mr.. Justice Waite MS saying that ia feeling
of independence conduces to faithfulness,"
but fail TO explain how your threat
| TO prosecute for spending money In their own
way and as they see tit conduces to independ
encc on the part Of government officers. You
seem to assume that If government clerk con-
tributes to the support of principles which he
cherishes, 1t in some mysterious way impairs
| his faculties or faithfulnoss and the country Is
in some way a loser. Why such an effect
should be produced on an officer and not on
any other person is not readily seen, and 1t
| may be that mistake your intent and that
you are only attempting to carry out that part
the purposes Of the association set forth in
the phrase, "To promote efficiency and main
tain proper discipline in the public service"
The precise effect of discipline on integrity is
not very well known outside of your organiza-
tion, nor is 1t well established now independ-
| tnCt, NulCn you hsSuTt us Is WnHt you arc
striving for, and proper discipline can work
perfectly in double harness, but suppose
your conception is that one is only q running
mate and counts nothing on the record.
suspect If your wishes prevail and ono of the
animals must be left out of the affair, that, in
spite of the chief justice, independence will
have to be dropped and discipline be made to
4 go II alone.
| The iipa nf n M unpt1apnau IN, tho
city Of New York attempting 10 enforce proper
discipline at arms length in the city Of Wash.
ington over the working force of government
which has conducted all the operations of 0
great war, aud the longer aud scarcely les,
,'ihlGult npsrniions OF peace under financial
charges OF enormous proportions, is one of
those sublime pieces of impudence which arc
born only in the brains of cranks and let loose
in an age OF foolishness and presumption.
man capable of conceiving II would naturally
be capable of thinking that the best way tc
prevent corrupt party from sneaking back
into power would be to join 1t and support 1t,
nominee or the best way to elevate a mora
issue is to vote for the candidate most clearly
shown to have lapsed In moral decency Of
still further that moral integrity is best showr
by joining in convention on pretcnse tina
TO ask In advance a pledge to support tn,
nominee would be to question the good faitl
of delegates, and then deliberately bolt tn,
nomination and break faith at the very poin
where weakness in morality was suspected
Should you need any help to discover the per
son herein aimed at, can help you by tn,
famous and terse quotation: Thou art tn,
man"
You assure us that your circular is not ISSUED
in the interest of any of the candidates. IL
NTta pT untt of fhA fIaNA
likely to gain by the absence of contributions
from clerks, your desire TO keep them out o
jail takes form Of disinterestedness quite OF
n par with your patriotism in attempting theil
discipline and promoting their independence
but am afraid it will not be appreciated OIL
account Of the low state of the service, which
knows not Its condition. Persons who take al
interest in politics, and for years have giver
, to promote the success of their ideas, are o
course in low moral state. They naturall,
must expect to pack up and quit If your candl
date wins, to make places for men who know
nothing of politics and never took interes
enough To contribute for the success OF goot
party. Your present doctrine would make 4
imperative for Cleveland to make a clear
sweep, and should Hendricks sneak back int
power his temperament would render any duty
with the broom q pleasant recreation, withou
doubt
Your circular, therefore, opens way 70
Cleveland Hendricks, and Curtis to stand oil
the same platform, to pose as the champion
Of independence Of the clerks, to shine In tn
role of philanthropists, who, while kickini
the poor ignorant devils out, may claim oredi
for having attempted proper discipline an,
tried osaye them from jail. think we see 1t
ONE OF THE DISCIPLINED.
ABOUT PEOPLE.