Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-11-27
Republicans and the Civil Service.


Our Republican friends who have
been fattening at the public crib for the
past twenty-four years are entrenching
themselves back ofthe civil service law,
hugging the idea that the law will re-
tain them their positions. Vain illu-
sion. The civil service law did little
towards securing places at the crib for
Democrats under a Republican admin
istration, and it is morally certain it
will do no more to retain places for Re-
publicans under Democratic admins
tration. Our Republican office-holding
friends may just as well prepare to va
cate, and take it in good humor. 1t is
not to be supposed that a Democratic
administration will surround itselfwith
its enemies, oh, no.
But what is the civil service law. 1t
is an enactment Ito regulate and inn
prove the civil service of the United
States" passed by Congress in 1888. 1t
is so constructed that its execution de-
pends entirely upon the option of the
President, and the law was deemed
necessity to restore the civil service
which had become alarmingly corrupt
under long control of Republicans. The
primary act, on the part of the President
upon which the execution of the law
depends, consists in the appointment
of three "CivilService Commissioners"
He is authorized but not required to
make such an appointment; and if he
has made the appointment, he is
authorized at his pleasure to remove
any Commissioner and to fill
any. vacancy which may occur
Whether such Commissioners shall be
and, if appointed, how long
they shall serve, is entirely at the option
of the President.
The duty of these Commissioners, if
is "to aid the President, as
he may request" in framing suitable
rules to govern appointments in the
civil service of the country, and in
carrying them into effect. These rules,
"as nearly as the conditions of good ad-
ministration will warrant" are to be of
a certain character set forth in the law.
The qualification here named leaves a
very broad margin for the discretion of
the, President, even if he undertakes to
execute the law.
The law in express terms has only
two applications. The first is to those
districts for the collection of customs
duties, in which the whole number of
clerks and persons employed shall be as
many as fifty. The second is to post
offices, in which there may be as many
persons employed. The President may,
f he chooses, extend the operation of
he law to other customs districts, or
,ther post-offices, and he may omit to
10 SO if he chooses.
1t thus appears that the Civil Service
aw, in the matter of its execution with
reference to appointments, rests entire
y with thediscretion of the President.
He can at any time make it dead let
er by simply not actinguDder it. 1t is,
indeed, little more than suggestion as
% what Congress thought it expedient
or him to do, giving him authority to
Ict, but not binding him to exercise
hat authority. The obvious reason
Why the law was framed in this way
vas to make it consistent with that pro-
'ision of the Constitution which vests
he appointing power in the President,
ubject to the advice and consent of the
senate. Had it been imperative, SO as
o take away the discretion of the Presi-
lent, it would have interfered with his
constitutional prerogatives.