Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-11-18
poS1-IHTEllIcEMcER.
,v,sa m wrrusrAss TEE rsxs-

,r,sx nm wrrusrAsp TEE raxs-
suREs
f,rover Cleveland, Is President, VIII
not occupy en- altogether enviabis po-
sit,on. BE will have attained ths high
81 honor possible for The citizen under
cur form OF government. He will %
the Chief Executive Of what every ps-
sriotic citizen claims and bslisvss 20 Dc
cha greatest and bsst eovsrnmsns on
earsb. He viii be endowed with vast
uovers. isvoIvinu onerous duties ana
grave responsibilities, and VIII have me
dispensation Of an snormocs sneuns ..
PATRONAGE. Il 10 fhis latter portion OF
he executive duties that the nssly
s,ected President win end most difn-
calf Of performances. u e upon snis
vheel that be h liable to be broken.
TIE Dsmoorstic party has been ou'
NJ never Tor slmnst twsnfy-four years
Tbe spuointsvs Offices Of the Nation are
nov mainly flIed y Rspablisans. save
in the several sxscutivs department" -
washington nearly AL the clerical SIAN
are members Of that party. In WASH
;petou City, however, there sin remain
MANY clerks--in the Treasury, war
Navy and Interior departments. who
although Democrats, have held their
poeitions since ante-beIIum days. ls's
Il a il should be. To prevent the dis-
misaal Of faithful servants, on political
grounds, the civil service Law was en-
acted and put into operation. The
present law was introduced By Senator
Pendistsn, Of Ohio, and received cor
dial aid from members Of both parties
From the fsct that IL Was introduced BY
4 Democrat that party has claimed
muoh credit for its adoption. The law
has been found 10 work we'll, and since
the tragic death of President Garfield,
ana the accession Of Arthur 70 the Pres
idency, has been vigorously enforced
With palpabIy good results.
Grover Cleveland owes his election In
large part to the ''reformers." The
watchword Of those who bolted Blairs's
nomination and during the campaign
labored for Clsvelsnd's suoeess vas
s.Reform." Il was claimed that Blaine
was not in favor Of reform that he
would use the patronage Of tho Presi
Dental ofios 10 reward his political
supporters; that the civil service rules
would not find In him sincere friend.
George wm. Curtis, one OF the original
advocates Of the present civil service
Law, with the coterie who followed bin
ont of the party. made the objection
prominent. Il, with other causes too
nnmerous 10 mention, bat each potent
and In the aggregate Of sufficient
weight, brought about Blaine's defeat.
The question nov arises, What win
Cleveland dor What win be his policy
With respect TO appointmentss viii he
follow the ooarss marked out by the re-
formers and steadily adhered 10 by
President Arthur viii he give full
force and effect to the civil service law,
and refuse TO remove officials solely for
political reasons? Or will he snecnmb
10 the storm Of appeal which will beat
against him from tbs moment that be
assumes his duties Will he replace,
without cause other than partisan bias,
the thousands of faithful and efficient
public officers Who have for years salts
faetorilv performed their duties, with
new and untried men, or will the
change be natural and gradual? No
one expects that important appoint
ments 10 fill vacancies will not be made
from a partisan standpoint; bat the
query Is, will the vacancies themselves
DO created by arbitrary dismissal OF
present incumbsnts before the expira-
ton Of their several terms OF offioes
Mr.. Curtis Is of opinion that the new
President will be extremely conssrva-
tive In this respect. Mr. Thurman in
clines TO the same view. The general
public has not such faith.
IL Grover Cleveland, rs did President
Arthur when called TO assume the juties
of Chief Magistrate, can rise TO the dig
nifty Of his high office and consider him.
slider himself President, not merely OF
the Democratic party, but of the whole
people, bic administration viii be an
unqualified success. But in 10 doing he
will need oil the nerve he possesses. and
will incur the intense hatred of thou.
sands OF his party. II will be hungry
mob who will infest the capital and
camp about the White House after the
4th Of March next. They win como in
dsovess IN swarms. in shoals, sappli-
eating and demanding every office FROM
Minister 10 England down to Pcstmas-
ter at Mukil,eo. Ii will require ne end
OF fortitude and stnbbornness 10 resist
the onslaught We have little faith
that the reform" so much pra.ed Of by
Cleveland's Republican allies and advo.
oates will come. The maxim, TO ths
victors belong the spoils," never no
strongly struck the Democratic iude.
ment as true doctrine as now, when.
after quarter OF a century, the covers
are removed from the steamins and
savory neshpots. and there Ia again an
opportunity afforded 10 get a sauare
meal.
IL would be far better for the eennsrv.
far better for Mr.. Cleveland, and far
better for the Democratic party. were
the inevitable changes in administrative
offices to be made gradually. There is
no good reason why an officer, who has
proven capable and honest In the dis
charge of his official duties, and Whose
term of service has bat partially az
pred, should be peremp,oriIy removed
TO give place 70 new and untried nan.
IL is against this policy that advocates
OF civil service reform protest. Twas
TO prevent such action that the civil
aaFViaa Ia