The Portland daily press., 1884-11-19
The Offices.

Perhaps our Democratic friends may not
he allowed to work their sweet will with the
civil service as freely as they now hope To
do. B sides the civil service law, the ten
ure Of flee law is still on the statute book.
and he Senate may act as . break on the
progress Of the administration coach. We
| do not anici pate that the Republican Senate
| will inleipose serious objection to putieg
Democrats IN any offices the duties of which
involve such confidential relations with TIE
| administration tnat the public service wcu'd
suffer if the lncumbeuts were not Ia political
accord with tic Pr sideut. But If it is al
tempted to make Clean sweep, not 10 the
public Interest but in the service Of the par
| ty,in order to punish the servants of The peo-
pie who did not work and vote for change
and give their places to those who did, we
should not be surprised if objection were
made.
For example, what advantage would come
TO The public service by The removal of the
| Collector or the Postmaster in this cit,p
fheysare Republicans, to be sure, but do they
not perform the duties of their Offices intelii-
gently ard faithfully? Are not the revenues
as well collected, ard the ma Is as promptly
| despatched aud distributed as they are like
| ly 10 be if the chiefs and the subordpates
are changed? Is there any probability that
either OF those officers would not cheerfuy
comply with any direction of the Secretary
OF The Treasury or the Postmaster-Genera al
relating to the performance of public duty,
and promptly carry into effect any plan for
improving The efficiency, tif it can be donel
or retrenehng the expenses If it be poss.-
ble) of their Offices? There is no question
OF their honesty. their capacity. their fidelity
to the constitution, the three much yaunted
Jacksoniau tests Of fitness. What advaD-
tage then would Come to the public service
by their removal?
None can be named and there would be
noDe The only objection which could be
raised against them would be that in the no.
litical views which they entertain as citzsrs.
| and in the exercise of heir rights as citizens.
they act with the Republican party instead
OF With the Democ.at attic party, and there are
hungry Democrats who want to be recon-
| pensed, not for their service to the conn
Try but for their service to the Democratic
! party, BY receiving the salaries of these Of
fees. A change in the Collectors office
would not cause another cargo to be shipped
or discharged at this port, or change the
rate Of duties, or in any other way save a
dollar 10 the government or The people.
change in the Past Office would not be like
iy TO serve The convenience of our citizens
iu the matter of sending and receiving let
ters 10 any appreciaDe degree.
The Indepeudsnt papers are protesting a
conviction that the new President will not
make many removals for partisan reasons.
II be does not lie will establish a precedent
OF the highest advantage. That would be-
return TO the better practices prevailing in
the administration Of rational affairs before
the time of Andrew Jackson who introduced
the fashion Of paying for partisan and per-
sonal devotion Ont of the national treasury
by means of the offices OF the country, OF
course when one administration put men in
office because they belonged o its party it
was natural that the next administration
should Tor It's own purposes turn them out.
But the evil has grown so great that there is
recognized need to abandon it, and if
President Cleveland respects this sentiment
10 any fair degree he will have no conflict
with the Republican Senate; but if he d'sre-
CARDS this sentiment notoriously and flag
nantly he will have conf c. with the people
OF whom constantly increasing number per-
ceive that the spoils system, so called, is
contrary to sound PUBLIC policy.