The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1885-06-13
CIVIL-SERVICE RULES.
lSt. Louis Bepublican.I

ing the letter and spirit of the civ
il service regulations. 1t might be
expected that their anxiety on the
subject, now that a Democratic ad-
ministration is in Office. would cor
respond, in some measure, with
their indifference, when the ap-
pointing power was in Republican
hands. Their enthusiasm in the
cause of civil,seryIce reform seems
to have been wonderfully stimu-
lated since the control of the GOV
ernment has changed hands. The
tenure-of.office-law and the proyis-
ions respecting civil-service exam
nations were in force for some
time prior to the election of Mr..
Cleveland, but a Republican ad-
ministration paid very little atten-
tion to them. Irrespective of
these laws the whole federal civil
service was turned into a vast po-
litical machine, handled and direc.
ted in aid of partisan purposes.
We heard little or nothing then
about the limitations on the ap.
pointing power of the President,
or the distribution of appoint
ments on the basis of personal
fitness alone. All departments of
the Government, not excepting
the judicial, were filled with Re.
publican workers" and the bene
fciaries of federal patronage in
the various stages were almost
uniformly selected on the ground
of party usefulness. 1t is fair to
conclude, therefore, that the clam.
or now made in certain quarters
touching the sacredness of civil.
service regulations does not spring
from any very exalted motives.
Its true origin is a desire to keep
Republicans in Office, notwith-
standing the political revolution
of last fall and to manufacture
grounds of complaint against
President Clevelaud's administra.
tion by constantly representing
that it Is disregarding the law.
This fact should be thoroughly
understood by citizens generally.
Reiterated misrepresentation of
ten mislead public opinion, and
at the outset Of Mr.. Cleyeland's
term, It is important that there
should be no apprehensions of his
motives aud acts. He means TO
respect, to enforce all existing
laws, but he means, also, to carry
out the will of the people as ex-
pressed at the late election, so far
as possible The corruption Of
the civil service grew up and
reached its climax during Republi'
can rule, and as it pervaded al
branches of the Government, the
work of correction and publication
must necessarily be slow. Ia the
meantime the stories and reports
put in circulation by Republican
journals, as to evasions Of the civil
service laws by President Cleve
land and his colleagues should bt
regarded as wholly without foun
dation, as misrepresentation made
for political effect. Removals
from Office may be expected, fol
the public service was and II
crowded with offensive parti
sans" but all removals will be fol
good cause and in the interests o.
honesty and efficiency. Afte'
nearly three months of close at
tention to executive duties, includ
ing the selection and appointment
of many important officers, Pres
ident Cleveland enjoys, not onl.
the confidence and respect of thu
great party that put him in office
but Of all fair-minded citizens out
side of 1t. In wedding out the OF
fensive partisaps, put in Office b.
his predecessors, it may be expect
cd that the radical managers will
denounce his patriotic industr,
and howl over the pangs cause,
by his pruning knife. All this i
inevitable, the Republicans hav
SO amalgamated themselves vii
: the Offices that separation can or
ly be effected by something in tn
!. shape of a surgical operation; a
,. operation, however, necessary fo
: the national health. When on
patriotic citizens hear the squall
: of the sufferers they should cor
gratulate themselves that tn
r great work of cutting out politics
evils is earnestly in progress, an
! that the louder the noise the NOR
effective, probably. will be the II