Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-04-16

Miss Ada c. Sweet has acted with COM
mendable firmness and prudence in de+
clining to send her resignatiin, at the
demand of Commissioner Black She
will put to the proof the civil service
reform sincerity of the administration.
1t may be well for the public to undert
stand clearly the facts in this case, for
it will be test case.
Miss Sweet has been for twelve years
pension agent at Chicago. She is
daughter of Gen. B. ]. Sweet, a Union
general. During the administration of
President Hayes an effort was made to
displace her in favor of some -appointee
who would have been more useful" in
politics. A powerful influence of reg
ulars" was brought to bear for her remo-
val; but, to the honor OF Carl SehurZ, who
was then secretary, she was retained in
Office distinctly-on the ground of civil
service reform. She has ever since re-
mained in office, and her commission
will not expire until April 10th, 1886.
That she has been good and faithful
officer is conceded even by Commissioner
Black in the very letter in which he ask
ed for her resignation. In his own
words: 81 gladly state that there is no
reason personal to yourself or to your
management of your Office which indu-
ces this request"
There are thus clearly political causes
why Com missioner Black desires to have
her place, and there are reasons for sus-
pecting that they were in the interest of
the Illinois campaign and the Chicago
municipal elections. 1t is thought that
Carter Harrison desired Miss Sweets
removal. though no proof of this has yet
been brought out.
Miss Sweet. iastead of answering the
Commissioners letter directly, wrote a
dispatch to the President stating that
this demand had been made upon ber,
and that there was no reason personal
to herself or to the management of her
Office why the demand should have been
made, and stating that she did not wish
to resign. She intimated very strongly
that she would not resign, but would
throw upon the administration the re- .
sponsibilty Of removing her. Whatever,
therefore, is done in her case will be
done under the direct sanction of PIesi-
dent Cleveland himself. She has placed
the matter in bis hands. If, after all
the promises and pledges of civil service
reform, the daughter of Union
general. who has been a faithful
and efficient officer under three admins
trations. and whose management of her
Office is commended even in her letter
that calls for her resignation-if the
is to be removed, what are all the prom>
is and pledges worth?
1t will matter very little to the cOun-
try, however, whether removals of this
sort be made directly by the President
OF his subordinate officers. If Cleveland
is to make the pledges, and put men in
TO departments to do the removals and
the spoils, he might as well
WELD "the axe" himself. 1t makes no
difference whether he does the work of
cutting off heads" in person or by depu-
~. He can prevent it if he desires to
10 So, and if be permits it, it will be be-
cause he wills it.
For these reasons the case of Miss
Sweet has a national interest. 1t is
sample brick. 1t is an open attempt to
introduce the spoils system. and set at
laught not only the pledges of the Pres
dent. but the civil service statutes. The
Incumbent has appealed from the order
If the Commissioner to the President
md has laid the facts before him, and
he tinal decision is awaited with deep
American.