Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-23
NO POLITICAL AIHCHINE.

A Civil Service Commissioner Defends
the Committee Against Serious
Charge.
WASHINGTON, July pa Democratic
statesman being interviewed to-day said !:
''Just at this critical moment, when
Blaine is looking towards the South to
make up for any losses sustained through
the action of the Independent bolters, the
Civil Service Commission announces that
much OF the patronage created by the
past session of Congress must 20 to the
Southern States, it being now their turn
for recognition under the law. Mind; l
do not mean that the commissioners in
tentionally arranged it so as to have the
appointments 90 to the South at this
particular time. 1t is rather the
result of circumstances, but it
will have an effect upon
the election all the same. The Democrats
acted unwisely in creating so much
patronage when. they know that its use
would effect political ends. They knew
that the Civil Service Commission would
have to distribute the appointments
through the South If they complied with
the law, and it would have some effect upon
the election. yet they created more new
government positions than has any Con-
gress since 1860, except in the extraordi-
nary case of the establishment of the new
pension Office. OF course the examina-
tons will be fairly conducted. AS the
Democrats in the South are, as a rule,
better educated than the Republicans in
the same section, the appointments will
go largely to our party. This renders the
situation still more dangerous, for as soon
as the appointments are all made the
stump speakers will go to North Carolina,
Tennessee, Florida and Louisiana and
argue the fairness of the Republican
party, calling upon their civil service eX-
perience to bear them out. and then say:
Gentlemen, to vote the Democratic party
in, is to vote this noble reform out" By
this means they have a chance to
carry two or three Southern States.
They are now laying the foundation for
this work by creating the impression, and
making it widespread, that the Demo-
Gratis, and particularly Hendricks, are
openly declaring that the civil service
law will not be regarded if they are sue
cessful. This will be a great issue in the
campaign. Wait and see.''
COMMISSIONERS EATON PUTS IN A DE-
NAL.
The attention of Commissioner Eaton
having been called to this subject he said
that there was no foundation for such a
hope fear. No person, whether an
officeHa hrty leader or other citizen, had
tried to influence the commission in re-
gard to its relations to appointments at
the South or elsewhere. If such attempts
should be made, which he had not the
least reason to suspect, it would be OPEN
ly resisted and publicly exposed. If such
an attempt should be made it would be
utterly futile. 1t was not true,
as the article suggests, that appointments
in the South were now, or had lately been,
more in arrears than in the North, West
and East. 1t is not true, as the article
suggests, that more appointments caused
by recent legislation in ratio of popula-
tion would go to the South than to the other
sections of the Union. The commission
paid no attention to political opinions OF
pending elections, and would continue to
have the same regard to the merits of can
didates and the claims of every State un-
der the legal rule. The pending election
has not made, and will not make, the
least difference.
1t is impossible for such use of the pa
tronage to be made as the article sug-
gests without the Commissioners know
ing of and being disgraced by it. He was
sure that no Commissioners would plead
either ignorance or innocence If such an
abuse should happen. He yentured to
declare, without qualification, that moth
ing of the kind can happen, and certainly
it has not in the least degree happened.