The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-09-30
The President and Civil Service Re.
form.


nation to President CLEVELAND in a
etter in which the connection of Mr.. |
EATo.s with the reform of the Civil |
Service both before and after the pass
age Of the act of Jan. Is, 1888, is |
reviewed at some length. The reasons
which impelled him to accept and con-
time in Office under this act are care
fully stated. We give the substance of
them.
Having taken an active part, by
which his time was largely taxed, in
connection with the preparation and
passage of the law, it seemed to him
that he could not be fairly called upon
to make further sacrifice of his private
interests in executing its provisions.
Besides, the enemies of reform had
charged that he had promoted the act
for the threefold purpose of gaining
notoriety, an Office and a salary. But
President ARTHUR, without the least
intimation to him Of his purpose, APP
pointed him. When he was about to
decline, the friends of reform with
whom he had labored for many years
in its behalf, insisted that he was in DUTY
bound to accept, and its enemies made
clear their purpose of charging any
refusal on his part to a cowardly shrink
ing from the speedy and disgraceful
failure sure to follow any attempt to
execute $50 chimerical and impracticable
a statute"
In such circumstances he entered upon
his official duties with the declared
purpose of remaining hardly more than
a year, within which, at least, the con
structive work of making rules, regula-
tions, and of enforcing new system at
its most difficult stage, could be accom-
plished." At the end of that time, the
new system having "gained the com
mel dation of the President, united more
largely the party in its power and
secured from committee of thirteen
( members of the Democratic House of
Representatives unanimous report,
declaring the great usefulness of the law
and rules, and commencing what was
described as The intelligent, efficient.
nOn-partisan and conscientious work of
the Civil Service Commission, he
could see no obligation to remain longer
but there were impracticable methods
which were not fully matured, and he
remained to take part in their develop
ment. A few months later he was about
to insist on being relieved from further
service, but his friends again dissuaded
him"by urging that that there would bea
critical period in case new party should
come into power" and he desired to
escape the charge of "feeing from the
perils of that crisis" On the aces
sion of President CLEVELAND to office
he did not tender his resignation, and
would not have done so had il
been requested, because he Hshould
gard it as a pernicious precedent
utterly repugnant to the spirit of the
Civil Service Act to treat the office OF
Civil Service Commissioner as politica
and hence as one to be filled at the begin
ming of each Presidential term.
Continuing, Mr.. EATON says:
These considerations constrained me t.
continue in my Office till the reform policy
| of your administration, so clearly defined
in your declaration, should be as unmis
| takably developed in your acts as Presi
dent as 1T had been in your acts as Cover
nor of New York. That time has arrived
| No candid man could longer pretend tt
regard that policy as indefinite or doubt
| ful. Every one of the five months OF YOU
| administration, during which the civi
| service act and rules have been enforcet
with as much breadth and firmness a
under that of President Arthur, has no
| only added new evidence of the utility o
the new system, upon which l coDgratu
lated the country, but has made more def
mite the settled purpose of your admins
| tration to faithfully enforce both the LAY
and the rules of the future.
| The few changes you have made in tn
rules have but added to their Justice an
| efficiency. So far as / have been able t,
/ learn there is not member of your Cabi
net who has not, as the result of his expe
rience in office, higher sense than befor
OF the need of enforcing that merit system
In the public service which the civil ser
vice act has established, and from those a
the head of many offices in postal and Gus
| toms service, to which the examination
extend, and whether they be Republican
holding over, or new officers from tn
| other party, there has come no reason 70
believing that the merit system isenot wei
coined as great benefit to the public ser
| vice, great influence for honesty in poll
tics and great relief to the head OF tn
office.
The portions of the letters which W
have not noticed, commend the genera
scheme of reform in the Civil Servic
and the results of the system now il
use. The acceptance of the resignation
is urged "until such time in the autumn
as the President "may find convenien
for new appointment"
The answer of the President, which i
in strict accord with previous utterances
is as follows:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, !
/ WASHINGTON, Sept. %, 1885. ]
Hon Dorman B. Eaton:
/ ] am in receipt of your letter, tenderin,
your resignation as member OF the Boart
| of Civil Service Commissioners. / canno
refrain from expressing my sincere regre
that you have determined to Withdraw
from position in the public service, wher
your performance Of duty has been o
inestimabie value to the country. Tn
friends of Civil Service Reform, and al
| those who desire good government, viii
/ appreciate your devotion for the cause il
| which you early enlisted, and they hav
seen with satisfaction that your zeal ant
| faith have not led you to suppose that tn
reform in which you were engaged i
| unsuited to the rules which ordinaril,
govern human affairs, or that it should a
once reach perfection and universal &C
ceptance; you have been willing to accep
good results as they step by step could b
| gained, holding to every advance with un
dying steadfastness.
The success which thus far has attende,
| the work of Civil Service Reform, is large
ly due to the fact that its friends have pro
ceeded upon the theory that real an,
healthy progress can only be made, as sucl
of the people who cherish promiscuou
political ideas, long fostered and encour
aged BY vicious partizanship, are persuade,
that the changes contemplated by tn
reform offers substantial improvement an,
benefits A reasonable liberation for oil,
prejudices, graceful recognition Of ever,
aid, sensible utilization Of every instru
mentality, and constant effort TO demon
strate the advantages the of new order 0
things are the means by which this ref I'm
mnvemenf will in f1fure he fnrfha