The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1885-10-01
LETTER FROM PRES. CLEVELAND.

Chief Civil Service Commissioner Eaton
Resigns, Satisfied With the Progress
Made-Mr. Cleveland, Accepting the
Resignation, Expresses Himself Most
Emphatically in Favor of the Reform.
There was made public some lengthy cor
respondence between Dorman B. Eaton,
chairman OF the civil service commission,
and President Cleveland, in which Mr.. Eaton
tenders his resignation to the president to
take effect Nov. 1, and Mr.. Cleveland ac-
ceptsit. The reasons for Mr.. Eatons resig-
nation are, first that he found himself upon
the salary OF So, 500, which it pays him, and
for which he left large and lucrative law
practice.
PRESIDENT CLEvELAND's REPLY.
Executive Mansion, Washington, Sept.
II, 1SS5.-Hon. Dorman b. Eaton-My
Dear Sir: | am in receipt OF your letter
rendering your resignation as a member OF
the board of civil service commits ,ioners.
l cannot refrain from expressing my sim
cere regret that you have determined to
withdraw from II position i'll the public
service where your intelligent performance
OF duty has been OF inestimabe value to
the country. The friends of civil service re-
form, and all those who desire good gov
ernment fully appreciate your devotion to
the cause in which you early enlisted, and
they have seen with satisfaction that your
zeal and faith have not led you to suppose
that the reform in which you We're engaged
is unsuited to the rules which ordinari-
ly govern progress in human affairs,
or that it should at once reach
perfection and universal acceptance.
You have been willing patiently to
accept good results as they step by step
could be gained holding every advance
with unyielding steadfastness. The success
which thus far has attended the work OF
civil service reform is largely due to the fact
that its practical friends have proceeded
upon the theory that real and healthy pro-
gress can only be made success if the peo-
pie who cherish the pernicious political
ideas, long fostered and encouraged by vi
cious partisanship, are persuaded that the
changes contemplated by the reform offer
substantial improvements and benefits.
reasonable liberation for old prejudices, a
graceful recognition OF every aid, Il sensible
utilization of every instrumentality that
promises assistance, and a constant effort
to demonstrate the
ADVANTAGE OF THE NEW ORDER OF THINGS,
are the means by which this reform move
ment will in the future be further advanced,
and the opposition OF incorrigible spois-
men rendered Intellectual and the cause
placed upon a sure foundation. OF course
there should be no surrender OF principles,
nor backward step, and all laws for the en-
forcement OF the reform should be ridgidly
executed; but the benefits which it's princi-
Piles promise will not be fully realized unless
the acquiesence OF the people is added to
the stern assertion OF "a doctrine and the
vigorous execution OF the iaws. 1t is II
source OF congratulation that there are so
many friends of civil service reform mar
shaled on the practical side ofthe question,
and that the number is not greater of those
who profess friendliness for the cause, and
yet mischievously and with supercilious
self-righteousness, discredit every effort not
in exact accord with their ultimate ideas,
decry with carping criticism the labor OF
those actually in the field of reform, and
ignoring the conditions which bound and
qualify every struggle for radical
improvement in the affairs of govern
ment, demand complete and imme-
mediate perfection, The reference in
your letter to the attitude of the men,
bers OF my cabinet to the merit syetem es-
tablished by the civil service law, beside
being entirely correct, exhibits an appre-
citation OF honest endeavor in the direction
of reform and disposition to do justice
to proved sincerity, which is most gratify-
ing. Ifsuch treatment OF those upon whom
the duty rests of administering the govern
ment according to reform methods was the
universal rule, and if the embarrassment
and perplexities attending such an admin
istration were fairly regarded by all those
processing to be friendly to such methods,
the avowed enemies to the cause would be
afforded less encouragement. / believe in
civil service reform and it's application in
the most practicable form attainabla.
Among other reasons, it opens the doors
for the rich and poor alike to II participation
in public officeholding, and hope the time
is at hand when all our people will see the
advantage of a reliance for such an oppor.
tunity upon
MERIT AND FITNESS
instead of dependence upon the caprice or
selfish interest of those who impudently
stand between the people and the machin-
cry OF their government. In the one case q
reasonable intelligence and the education
which is freely furnished or forced upon the
youth OF our land are the credentials to
office. The other way is found in favor Sc
cured by Il participation in partisan work,
often uniting a person morally, if not
mentally and physically, for the RESPONSE
bilities and duties Of public employment.
You will agree with me, | think, that the
support which has been g: ven to the pres
ent administration in it's efforts to preserve
and advance this reform by a party re-
stored to power after an exclusion for many
years from participation in the places at
tached to the public service, confronted
with new system precludng a redistribu-
tion OF such places in it's interests, called up
on to surrender advantages which
a perverted partisanship had taught
the American people belonged to
success, and perturbed with the
suspicion, always raised in such an emer-
gency, that their rights in the conduct OF
this reform had not been scrupulously re-
garded, should receive due acknowledge
ment, and should confirm our belief that
there ia a sentiment among the people bet
ter than desire to hold office, and patri-
otic impulse upon which may safely rest the
integrity OF our constitution and strength
and perpetuity OF our government. l have
determined to request you to retain your
present position until the first day OF No
vember next, at which time your resigna-
ton may become operative. l desire to ex-
press my entire confidence in your attach
ment to the cause of civil service reform,
and your ability to render it efficient aid;
and | indulge the hope and expectation that
Notwithstanding the acceptance OF your res
ignation, your interest in the object for
which you have labored so assiduousy
will continue beyond the official term which
you surrender. Yours, very truly,
GROVER CLEVELAND.