National Republican., 1885-07-07
CIeveIand's Christmas Letter.

ALBANY, N. Y, Dec. %, 1ssl-To HON.
GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS, President &C.
Dear SIR! Your communication, dated Dec
20, and addressed to me on behalf of tho Ma
tional Civil Service Reform League, has been
received. Tint practical reform In tho civil
service Is demanded is abundantly established
by the fact that a statute referred to in your
communication to secure such result has
been passed in Congress, with the assent of
both political parties, and by tho further fact
that q sentiment is generally prevalent among
patriotic people calling for the fair and honest
enforcement Of the law which has been thus
enacted. / regard myself pledged TO this, be.
cause my conception of true Democratic faith
and public duty requires that this and all
other statutes should be in good faith, and
without evasion enforced, and because in many
utteranccs made prior to my election as Presi.
dent, approved by the party to which belong
and which have no disposition to dlscaim,
have in effect promised the people that this
should be done.
lam not unmindful of the fact to which you
Icfcr-thGt many of our citizens fear that the
recent party change in the national executive
may demonstrate that the abuses which have
grown up in the civil service are ineradicabe.
know that they are deeply rooted and that
the spos system has been supposed to be in.
timately related to success in the maintenance
OF party organization, and am suro that all
those who profess to be the friends of this re.
form will stand firmly among its advocates
when they find It obstruoting their way to pa.
tronage and place. But, fully apprecating the
trust committed to my charge, no such consid.
Grafton shall cause a relaxation on my part of
any earnest effort to enforce this law.
There is class of government positions
which are not within the letter of civil service
statute, but which are so disconnected with
the policy OF an administration that the re.
moyal therefrom Of present incumbents in my
opinion, should not be made during the terms
for which they were appointed solely onparti.
san grounds and for the purpose of putting in
their places those who were in political accord
with the appointing powers, but many now
holding such positions have forfeited all Just
claim to retention, because they have used
their places for party purposes in disregard Of
their duty to the people, and because, instead
OF being decent public servants they have
proved themselves offensive partisans ana un.
scrupulous manipulators of local party mau
OgcIncnt.
The lessons Of the past should be unlearned,
and such officials, as well as their successors,
should be taught that efficiency fitness. and
devotion to public duty are the conditions of
their continuance in public place, and that the
quiet and unobtrusive exercise of individual
political rights is the reasonable measure of
their party service
If were addressing none but party friends /
should deem 1t entirely proper to remind them
'''" '--N''s.. s'-- -----.-.o
Democratic, a due regard for the peoples inter
est docs not permit faithful party work to be al
ways rewarded by appointment to Office, and to
soy TO them that while Democrats may expect
allpropcr consideration, selections for office not
embraced within the civil service rules will be
based upon sufficient inquiry as to fitness, in.
stituted bythose charged with that duty, rather
than upon persistent importantly or seltso.
licited recommendations on behalf of candi.
dates for appointments. Yours, very truly,
GROVER CLEyEtASD