Morning journal and courier., 1885-09-24

| looking it's defects, and in fact criticising them with entire freedom, we think that It has already materially promoted thu. final es- tablishment of our civil service uponsa sound basis.
 We do not shut our eyes, nor, we think, should you, to the fact that the Democratic party in returning to power after the lapse of nearly quarter of 8 century found all the higher offices, and almost all the subordinate ones, filled by Republicans. No law, no the ory of government which should seek to ex- clude any great party representinga majority circumstances, from promptly claiming all positions of trust, honor or emolument would be reasonable or just. l The civil service law is a measure of prac- 1 tical politics. It guards the entrance to the lower walks of official station. It leaves the | higher positions and the right of removal at ! discretion, which is the necessary defense of official responsibility, at the will of those to l whom the people are willing to entrust polit- l ical power.
 In answer to your next question, whether in the light of the experience of the last l six months we think that the Demo | cratic party is to be trusted with l the cause of civil service reform, we would say that under the leader ship of President Cleveland we think it is so l to be trusted. We have as yet seen no req | in his professions of strong desire for re- ! form. The evil to be remedied is one of long standing and great proportions; the process l of reform must needs be slow; and we be ieve that friends of the movement will do it
 more service by heartily supporting his ae- tion, by giving him the confidence which his ! public acts and public declarations claim, 1 and which his honesty of character assures, I than by misrepresenting his motives, sus-
 pectlng his sincerity and distrusting his fu- | ture course.
 Our civil service has long been the service ! ot the Republican party. It should be the
 service of the whole people. Thus far, re-
 removals for no other purpose than to create l a vacancy have been hardly more numerous \ under the present administration than under some of the Republican predecessors. At l the date of your letter we are informed that
 of the 2,332 presidential postmasters in the | United States, changes had been made in but ! 467 cases since the ad journment of the Senate ! and that of the 4S, ,421 fourth-class postoftices 1 new appointments had been made in only
 about 6, 400 since the 4th of March If | similar spirit of moderation is continued W, I need not fear that the next presidential cleo tion will find either of our great parties l without fair representation in our mino ! offices.
 l We have taken this much time in replyin, ! to your questions and statements regardin!
 civil service reform, for the cause is, as yo, ! state, very dear to our hearts. But we be; 1 to remind you that the question of civ: I service reform was not the issue in tn
 last campaign, nor was it upon thi ! subject that we differed with th l Republican party. It was not because o it's attitude towards civil service reform | that we refused to act with it in the las l campaign but because of it's candidate. w ! did not believe in the personal or politica
 honesty of MT. Blaine, and therefore W ! would not vote for him. It was our politi 1 cal good fortune that the Democratic part, I at that time offered us candidate in whom ! we saw both political and personal honesty | and that we had in addition the satisfac ! tion of feeling that in helping to make hin l President we were also giving a great i'm ! pulse to the progress of the reform in whicl ! we had so sincere interest.
 You ask us finally if we are not willing te ! return to the Republican party, and to hast ! ington, and make reference to the comine I elections in this State and elsewhere. II ! reply to this we can only say that we canno forecast our future political action until tn attitude of parties, as expressed by their plat l forms and candidates, has been more clearl, l defined. Then our choice will be governed l not by the name under which the party acts ! but by our judgment as te which promises
 most to the cause of honest administration and sound politics
 In closing we beg to assure you that il
 this letter we speak only for ourselves as in l dividuals. We cannot assume to speak eithe
 for Independent Republicans at large or fo | the local organization which expired on tn
 4th day of last November, having finished it | appointed work
 SIMEON E. BALDWIN, THOS. R. BACON,
 MORRIS F. TYLER.
 | HENRY w. FARNAM