Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-28
The President and Civil Service
Reform.

Reform.
From the beginning Of his administra-
ton the President has kept his own
pledges and the pledges of his party to
support civil service reform. He has
shown firmness in the interest of this
reform that has surprised his political
enemies and displeased some of his politi-
cal friends.
With some of the leading Democratic
politicians civil service reform, as the
President understands, is not popular.
In his speech at the Bay State Club dim
ner in Boston, day or two ago, Mr.. Hen
bricks, the Vice President, indicated
pretty clearly that il would be much better
for the Democratic party and TOR the civil
service to get rid Of about all the Repub-
lican officials The most of them have
been in office SO long that they have
| learned how to do nothing while having
\ the appearance of being very busy. Mr..
Hendricks thinks that if the offices were
filed with young and ambitious Demo-
Gratis public business would be trans
acted much more rapidly and satisfac-
/ tOrily.
There are a good many Democrats
whose views relative to this matter are
/ in harmony with those Of Dir. Hendricks.
/ The President understands fully that
very many Of the Democratic leaders
/ have condemned him, and still condemn
/ him, for interpreting the civil service
plank, in the platform on which he was
/ elected, so literally. Senators have told
/ him that he was making a mistake, and
/ that his administration in their States
/ was not as popular as it ought to be be-
cause of his course with respect to the
offices.
The pressure for offices has been almost
unprecedented. 1t is still very great.
| OF course before any one can be appointed
\ some one must be turned out. In the
cases in which changes have been made
there hasn't been any haste. The Presi-
/ dent has passed upon the qualifications
/ Of the applicants for the most important
places, and as the examination of recon-
mendatiOns is dun, slow work, suspen-
sions have not been made as rapidly as
/ they would have been had all of this sort
OF work been left to the heads Of the de-
partments.
The questions which present themselves
are these: VIII the President yield to the
pressure in favor of freer Interpretation
Of the civil service law, or will he fight
! the spoils seekers on the line that he has
marked out? What influence would a
change of policy have on the fortunes of
the Democratic party?
! These are very important questions,
and those who occupy such influential
positions as to insure for their criticisms
/ respectful consideration ought TO prepare
! themselves to answer them before taking
sides with the spoils seekers tor the pur-
pose of driving the President from the
| position that he has thus far maintained
with admirable firmness.
Some Of the assaults on civil service re-
form have been wholly unexpected. That
of the new Postmaster at Chicago, for in
stance, was somewhat of surprise, but
it was evidently so reasonable that it is
probable that 1t will be successful. It is
proper that officials who are responsible
for large sums of money should want to
select their chief assistants. If the Civil
! Service Commission is allowed to select
/ them the government ought not to want
anybody TO be responsible for them.
After all the civil service law does not
apply to a very large portion Of those in
the service Of the government. The num-
/ Der in the pay of the government is over
100000, but the civil service rules apply to
only about $4,000.
The complaint against the President is
not that he insists on carrying out the
civil service law, but that he insists on
applying the spirit of the law to the
offices outside of its jurisdiction.
1t is probable that the course the Presi-
dent is pursuing is the only one that
would help to make civil service reform a
success. 1t is certain that If he backs
down from the stand he has taken civil
service reform will receive blow from
which it VIII not quickly recover. He
must maintain the position he has taken
or assume the responsibility of giving
civil service reform its death blow. Under
existing circumstances would the failure
of civil service reform strengthen or
weaken the Democratic party2