Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1884-12-11

The attitude of the Democratic press
Is no less significant since the election
than ii was before the votes were cast
which made Cleveland President-elect.
Before the election there was no criti-
cism of Republican policy or legisla-
ton, worthy of notice, and no promise
of change or improvement If the Demo
cratic party should win. In the free
dom of discussion which success at the
polls has given there is no intimation
that Republican policy can or will be
bettered.
At the outset it is to be borne in mind
that the United States Senate is Repub-
lican by small but decisive majority,
and that the Presidents appointments
must be confirmed by that body. By
refusing to confirm the Presidents NOM
nations it can prevent changes for par
tisan purposes that would be detri-
mental to the public service. The civil
list of the Government contains about
112,0 names, exclusive of day labor
ers. While, of course, the terms Of
Cabinet officers and foreign Ministers
are during the Presidents pleasure, the
great majority of the occupants of Fed
eral positions are appointed for four
years. The chief exceptions are the Col
lectors of Internal Revenue, whose term
is not fixed. OF the 112, 900 Federal Of
tice-holders, 10, 900 under the Pendleton
act are chosen by competitive examina-
tons. These are the clerks in the
Washington bureaus and the post
offices and internal revenue offices of
the larger cities of the country. So
long as that act remains in force ths
chief inducement to removals for polit~
ical purposes is done away with, as tho
removal of one man does not secure a
position for a political follower unless
he can succeed in the examinations.
The postmasters form the largest class
not protected by the Pendleton act and
by the contirmatory power of the Sem
ate. There are about $4,000 of them,
and not more than $500 of them are
nominated by the President and con-
firmed by the Senate. The remainder
are appointed by the First Assistant
Postmaster-General acting in the name
of his superior. "a clean sweep"
therefore, means the appointing of fifty
Democrats as postmasters to take the
place of Republicans for every working
day of the four years of Cleveland's
Administration. To the Democratic
understanding this is the meaning of
the reform triumph. The remaining
$4,000 officeholders subject to removal
are divided into many small classes,
contractors, 400 employees 81 fqt9 he' l Dd
reau of printing, etc. Generally they
are appointed by their own immediate
superiors, and they can be turned out of
office only through the Senate's consent
to the appointment of new men to these
more important positions.
While the law, therefore, and the
Senate will protect the country from
complete revolution in the personnel of
administration, a change of 10000 Off
cials can be made if Cleveland shall so
decide. In the State departments at
Albany changes for political reasons
have been distributed over months and
have not attracted much attention. In
deed in some instances Republicans
have been retained in office. Governor
Cleveland's record as a Civil-Service
reformer has been of a negative quail
ity. The State patronage is small and
the pressure for Office is so slight that it
can be easily resisted. But at Wash
ington matters, we imagine, will be
in seeing whether Grover Cleveland
single-handed and unaided-for he will
stand alone in his party if he should
take that attitude-will be able to- hold
10000 offices in one hand and with the
other hold back the five times that num-
Der of hungry and very thirsty Demo-
cratic Office seekers. albany Evening
journal,