Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-11-17
he is likely to do relative to removals and
the Civil Service Act and rules.

speak for Governor Cleveland or his party. |
Having acted with the Republican party
from its origin, can hardly speak without
some party bias. Nevertheless, | will |
frankly tell you what | think. We shall |
have an Administration absolutely Demo- |
cratic in policy, but whether with mem !
Der representing those without whose vote |
the Democratic party would have failed, |
will not guess but the Civil Service Act |
will not be repealed, either at the coming !
session or during this generation. Governor |
Cleveland and the statesmen of his party |
would oppose any attempt TO repeal it. The |
Republicans as body would resist, and |
the Senate would defeat such an attempt |
The rules will not be abolished They will |
be enforced under the new President, but |
not | fear, with such enlarging breadth of
application and such moral support from
the party in power as would have been the
case certainly had President Arthur been
reelected, and probably had Mr. Blaine
succeeded. The diSinterestedness and pa
triotism of the country are not very une-
qually divided between the great parties,
but in my opinion my party has much the
larger part of the intelligent con-
viction which has thus far sup
ported civil service reform. Great
numbers of persons in the Democratic
ranks are SO prejudiccd and unintormed on
the subject that they will Clamor for re-
movals for the sake of the patronage. They
do not comprehend that in a party which
could elect its candidates only by aid of
Republican friends, reform has no chance
if il alicnatcs those friends in the future
when they are sure to be far more numcr-
Gus aud powerful than now. They still he
lievc in the old proscriptiyc SpoiiS system.
not comprehending that it is doomed, and
c5ring more, as do many Republicans also,
for 4 four years satuynalia of SpoilS than
for all the future beyond that. \
great struggle over the reform issue in the
Democratic ranks is therefore certain.
The statesmen of the party, Bayard PEN
dleton, Lamar, Garland, Carlisle. Randall,
Cox, Morrison, Tucker, Hewitt, Willis and
others, each of whom has already spoken
and voted for the Civil Service Act, will
stand by the new President in its support.
But many worthy Democrats, and all dem
agogucs, spoilsmcn and the rabble of the
party, will be against il. The Republicans
| will stand together for the Act and rules
anXiously waiting for the Democrats 70
ruin themselves by their abrogation. The
! President will lead the reform element of
| his party, and his clear convictions, his
| high sense of duty, his courage, his strength
/ of character, will secure Il VI tory. There
! is no public man in this country who
| has higher sense of the moral obligations
/ of official life or who is more certain 10
withstand mere partisan and selfish APP
! peals, than Governor Cleveland. This Is q
/ great element of power, and popularity
| too, rs the people now feel, and lest my
motives be misunderstood, let me add that
he has never done me favor, and that
would neither ask nor accept one at Iii,
hands. Many officers, outside of the rules
| vii a. hp rp,
moved for no very good reasons. But, sC
far as possible, Governor Cleveland WI
prevent mere political prescription He
cannot attend TO everything. Much
will depend on the members o
his Cabinet, and especially ON the Post
naster-G General. If there are. as is charged
some officers who have used their in
fluence TO enforce assessments, ant
neglected their duties and violated thu
pr0preties of their stations to engage il
a party warfare, the fate they have chal
lenged may very likely await them. L
persons are to be selected for the public
work irrespectiYAo of politics, they had bet
ter attend to that work, and not meddl'
with elections.
Question-What has Governor Cleveland
done in Ney York to warrant this cstimat,
of him?
Answer-Buflalo was city almost 4;
partisan, lawless and badly governed 4.
Cincinnati. Upon being made Sheriff Mr.
Cleveland exhibited those qualities whicl
are being more and more needed and ap
preciated by the people. They compre
hended and approved his spirit. He Wa
elected Mayor by votes from both parties IL
that Republican city. His life rs Mayo
was q continuous struggle for honesty ana
fidelity in Office against jQbbcry, spoilsmer
and pa-tisans. who had long preyed on th
city. He mastered the situation, and he
came known Us the veto Mayor. His lear
less way of dealing with them is shown b,
the language of his yctoes.
Commissioner Eaton here quotes from
Governor Clcveland's messages, from hi
letter accepting the gubernatorial nomina
ton and from other communications, e
show decisive and uncquiyocal endorse
ment of the Civil Service Act, and pays
high tribute to the honesty and nOn-par
tsan business capacity OF the Governor, a
evidenced in his administration of the ai
flirs of the State of New York. and con
tinues as follows: The rapidly growing
reform sentiment of the country has bcel
demanding more honest courage and ad
ministrative capacity, with less politics, II
executive places. Governor Cleveland ha
the distinction of being the first man sine
| w L
dent because he possessed those qualitie
in z pre-eminent degree. They have nd
vanced him more rapidly to the head OF til
nation than military glory did any on
, of her tavorites. To believe such
man. with such q history, who never sough
an Office, viii come to the National Cal
itol to repudiate the pledges and all that
. best OF his official life, Ia betray those VIII
have most trusted him, TO make hostile a
the Republican journals which now SUI
> port him, to ruin the prospects of his part
= and disgrace himself and his country. b
! oyerturning a work of reform kindred
that upon which his own distinction rest
e only to secure full field for patronag
= money getting and the spoils systel
E of debaucherv that such an assuml
= ton should be made by any sensibI
: well-informed man, is to me simply in
|, possible If | am mistaken in this view,
= hope the rules will be utterly overthrow
: before the March winds are over. II tn
Y Democrats enforce the spoils system pc
! lev. they must take the consequences. y
= true friend of reform would have any pa
] in the perfunctory and deceptive enforce
4 mcnt of rules mutilated i'll their essenti;
' parts He would rather await their &C
tain resurrection four years hence, ov'
Y the graves of their enemies"
n The views of Judge l.. d. ThOman, Il
- Democratic member of the COmmissio
: were also obtained on the same subject di
: cussed by Mr. Eaton.
(. What do you think will be Preside
d Cleveland's policy as to civil service 7
/ form ~ was asked.
" ~ do not know but it would seem tn
n his past public Utterances and acts are
n sufficient guarantee that his policy will
@ conservative. and in thorough sympatl
s with the present civil service law al
Il rules"
S "Will there be many removals Of &c
n ernment officials?' ?'
Il "Ycs, and many will remain. l am sat
- fed that thorough administrative relol
Y will cause the removal OF many offici;
5. whose places need not be filled, and if II
le policy is pursued by which the business
ar the Government Will be conducted on bu
le ness principles, the biennial register in +
pr wears from now will contain several tho
V sand less names than it does to-day"
if The Is:lInian Interoceanic Transit II
w jects.
IL WASHINGTON, November 16th.-Rep
lit sentatives ofthe three great lsthmlan INT
il oceanic transit projects are gathering he
re in authorization of The meeting OF Congre
ID The Panama people are simply anxious
e he let alone. The Nicaraguan people We
substantial recognition. The Iehuantel
lis people are willing to take anything u
Ii. can get. James B. Eads, the father OF I
he Tehuan.epec scheme, went to London /
ng summer to get some money. 1t is report
al that he got none; but he has apparen
q -.