The Wilmingtonian., 1884-11-29
TENURE OF FEDERAL oFEICE.

Just what influence the Tenure of Office
and civil service laws will have upon the
incoming administration is the question of
the passing hour. These in office so liberal
ize the "Tenure of Office enactment that il
may cover their official probation, whilst
the "outs" labor increasingly to convince
themselves that the enactment" is but a
tissue of glitterlng generalities which has
been heralded forth as a sort of placebo tc
tickle the public fancy. The Times thus
states the case:
There is a vast deal of human nature in
human nature, whether Democratic or Re-
publican, and the jealous civil service re-
formers among politicians are usually the
fellows who are out and can't get in. When
they have chance to get in, they are ready
kSk' civil service rS rorm to the dogs and
bag tn the spo L rs. ,iAtion +. san styre.
Many have some indefinite sort of belief
that the Tenure of Office law is a bulwark
ofprotection to Republican Federal officials
under the coming administration; but they
are mistaken. AS it was originally passed, it
would be of ncalculable value to the now
trembling Republican ofiic ials; but the Re-
publicans modified their own law and left il
with only the shadow of a name. That act
was passed by the Republicans to prevent
President Johnson from dsplacing the Re-
publican officials during the last years of his
term; but he managed to trade large
number of his anti-Republcan friends into
sons successor the Republicans who had
enacted the Tenure of Office law to keep Re-
publicans in office changed its chief provisions
to enable them to turn Johnson's officials out:
and there is practically nothing at ali in the
Tenure of Office act beyond some details nee
essary to the harmonious regulation of the
public business. While not called exactly
by that name in legal parlance, the President
can remove most public officials at will, sub
ject only 20 the approval of the Senate, as it
always has been.
The whole question of removals in the chief
Federal offices, is practically just where it has
been from the foundation of the government
The President can remove,or suspend as it is
now delicately called, as he shall choose. If |
during the recess Of the Senate the old Off
cial goes out and the new one goes in with |
full authority aud pay the nomination
must go to the Senate within thirty days
after its meeting, and if tie Senate shall
refuse to confirm, instead of rein Dstalling the |
old official, the President is authorized to
nominate another for the plac,. Removals
made during the session of the Senate must
be confirmed before the removal is complete;
and that is practically the same protection
public officials have had from the rule of |
Washington to the rule of Arthur. There is |
just next to nothing in the Tenure of Office
law, to protect the leading Federal officials |
and heads of departments under change of |
administration. Their only hope is in the civil |
service reform policy of the new Executive,
and in officials meriting continuance under |
a reform government.
The subordinate officials in the various de-
partments at Washington and in the various
Federal offices, are substantially protected |
agaist removal under the provision of the |
Civil Service law of January 16, 1888 proposed |
and pressed to final passage by Senator PEN
dleton, of Ohio. Under that act, the continu-
ance of really competent and faithful subor-
dinates is reasonably assured The one rock |
on which many of them will be wrecked, is
the common infrmity of such subordinates
exhibited as violent and often reckless, parti-
sans Most of them were appointed not only
as a reward for party services but also to in
crease their usefulness as partisans, and they
have exhibited the most offensive features of
the insolence of office. There is no civil serv-
ice statute to protect such subordinates from
removal.
Civil service reform will be one of the dis
tinguishing features of the coming adminis-
traticn, unless Democratic rule is to be
Democratic suicide; but 1t must not be for
COTTON that an honest civil service demands
the removal Of all who have prosttuted pub
lie Office to party end and efforts. The test
of President-elect Cleveland's fidelity to
civil service reform will not be so much in
the removal Of anti-civil service reform Off
cials as in the selections of their successors.
He will ''turn the rascals OUT with general
approval; but he can't turn like rascals in
without making Democratic civil service re-
form professions mockery and a lie.
Cabinet Making.