Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-01-02
GOV. CiCNeland'> Reply.
Albany, y. y, Dec. %, 1SS4
To Hon. George William Curtis, presi-

AlDluN, y. ., Zee. ~, ISL
To Hon. George William Curtis, prcsi-
cent, plC
Dear Sir: Your communication dated
December 20 addressed to me ON behalf
OF the National civil service Reform
league mas been received. That praCti-
ca ret rm in ;ne civil service is d2mnHurd
is abuMJautiy established by the fact that
a statute, referred to in your CunmdniCu-
tiyu To- secure such arestlt has been passed
in nu -re>s with the assent OF both
parties and by the further fact that a sen
Iim"ut is generally prevalent among pa
tr,Otjc people calling Tor the farand hOu-
est enforcement OF he law which has been
thus |racted, regard myself pledged to
this because my conception of true Demo
cratic faith alu public duty requires that
this and all utncr statutes should be in
goo! Gath and without evasion enforced.
and bccaU>v in many utteranCeS made
plIut 90 GuSeleCtOn as president, approved
by u" party to which belong and winch
| Ea." no disposition 10 di~Claim | have
in effect promised the people that this
shcHld he done. am not uumudful of
the .n, 80 which Nou refer that many of
our citizens ir&r That the recent change in
the National executive may demon
stratc that the abuses which have
grown up in the civil service are
inerHicable. ! know that they are deeply
rooted and that the spoil, system ha, been
SUPPOSED to be intimately related to sue
cess IN the maintenance of party Organiza-
ton, and am not sure that all those who
process to be the friends OF this reform
VIII stand firmly among it, advocates
when they find ii Obstructing their way to
patronage and place. But fully apprc-
clatiug the trust committed to my charge,
no such consideration shall cause Il relaNa-
ton on my part of an earnest effort to en-
force this law.
There lisa class of government positions
which are not within the letter of the
civil service statute, but which are 50 dis
connected with the policy OF an admins
lra,iun that the removal of present i'll
cunbentS, in my opinion, should not be
mH'le during the terms for which they are
appointed, solely on partisan grounds and
tor the purpose of putting Ill their places
those VINO are III political accord with the
appointing power But many men now
holding such positions have forfeited all
JUS claim to retention bee Iusp they have
used their places for party purposes in dis
re- trd of their duty To the people and be
caN-" instead of being decent public ser
wants They have proved themselves Oticn-
sive partisun- and INSCRIPTIONS manipu-
latorS of local party, management. The
lessons of the past should be unlcarhrd
au0 such officials as we'll H. their success
0ro should be taught that efficiency, lit
ness and devotion to public duty are the
conditions of their continuance in public
place, and that the quiet and mObtruoiVe
exercise of individual political rights is
the reasonable measure 81 their party
service
Ii | We're addressing none but party
friends ! should deem it entirely proper
to remind them that though the coming
administration il to be Democratic, il due
regard for the peoples interest does not
permit faithful party WORK 10 be always
rewarded by appointment to office and to
say - them that while Democrats may cX-