The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1885-10-02
CIVIL. SERVICE REFORM

Commissioner Eaton's Letter to the Prest-
dent rendering His Resignation OF the
Onice-The Presidents Reply Thereto
MIR. Eaton Will be Relieved November 1st. /
WASHINGTON, d. G., September a.
The following correspondence, embrace
Ing Dormln B. Eaton's resignation as
member of the Civil Service Commission,
and the Presidents acceptance of 1t, was
made public last night:
WASHINGTON, d. c., July 9th, 1885.
| SIR-In execution of a purpose of which 1
informed you several weeks since. very |
respectfully tender my resignation as civil
| to your wishes will not urge its acceptance |
until such time in the autumn as you may
no hep be- hosSht
Prior to the passage ,or,,, Of the c,yil- iS,s
1853, / had held under three earlier Presi.
dents, and was then holding under President
To- my nm preaent oee as civil service
Commissioner. Fornearly the whole period
/ had served without. compensation, and
Ing and other expenses, including those OF
Journey to Europe and the preparation OF
ONE Of those Presidents, % but printed by Con-
by which my time was largely taxsd, in con:
that law, and when the time arrived for
| executing itsprovisions 1t seemed to me that
! could not fairly be called upon to make n
aid of civil service reform. Besides, the
enemies of reform were so klnd'as to charge
that I had promoted the act for the treble
purpose of gaining notorety, an office and
salary. But President Arthur, without the
mate mated me, and W was ,ise confirmed as Commits.
sioner. When / was about to decline, the
friends. of reform, with whom | had
labored for many years In Its behalf,
Insisted that | was in duty bound
to accept; and these enemies with amiabe
consistency, made clear the tnelr purpose @ OF
ardly shrinking from the speedy and dis.
graceful failure sure to follow any attempt
statue. In such situation / had hardly
n liberty of choice, but entered upon my
oielal duties With the dec, declared & purpose p,ss Of
which at least the constructive work
of making rules and regulations and of
diflicult Stage could be accomplished. At the
end of that time had bee ome more deeply
than ever interested in the practical applica.
tion of the new system. Its great utility and
: easy processes had gained the commenda-
ton of the President, united more largely
cured d'fro from a committee Of thirteen mem
bers of the Democratic House OF Repre-
g sentatives q unanimous report declaring the
great usefulness of the law and rules, and
commencing what it described as the in
telligent, efficient, non partisan and consci-
entious work OF the Civil Service Commis-
sion
n i could then see no obligation. to remain
:, longer. That had been done which the enc
!" mics of reform had declared to be impossi'
e ble The law and ths rules were vindicated
l, But there were important practical methods
which were not fully mantnrea, ,.ttsr ana eyei re.
!. opment. When, few months later, was
:, about to insist on being relieved, those
"a would be a critical period in case, a new
% party should. come into power; and l saw
e. plainly; from hostile journals tha ra
% signed, with fleeing from the, peril
e. OF that crisis. 1t was clear enough that NJ
excuse from my long service, and no decla
is ration of my confidence in the reform polio,
,i of the Presidential candidate and statesmen
OF the Democratic party, would relieve ,, m
Il charge. As a private citizen could scorl
:, the inputation, but as public officer, an
:, tied with the cause of civil service reform,
u had no right to make an opportunity for 1t
e. natural enemies in either party to use suc
. o charge to Its injury.
+ There was another reason why could no
le tender my resignation-and should nav,
refused to do so had 1T been requested,-a
to or near the time of your accession to office
k For should regard it as perniciou5 pre-
: cedent-utterly repugnant to the spirit 9
N the civil service act-to treat the ofhce Q
y, Civil Service Commissioner as political, an
" hence rs one to be ilied at the beginning Q
p. each Presidential term These tonsidera
b. tions constrained me to continue in my place
II. The reform policy of your administration
!, so clearly defined In your declnratlon
|
,e your acts MS President as IT had been in you
re- nets rs Governor of New YORK.
a That time has arrived. No candid ma
n, can longer pretend to regard that policy. ,
oil indefinite or doubtful Every one of the fiv
Ill months of your administration, durin
I'd which the civil service act and rules . na.
- been enforced with as much breadth, 1irn
w ness and fidelity as under that OF i'residei
e. Arthur, has not only added new evidence
er the utility of the new system upon which !
~ congratulated the country. but has ma,
OF more definite the settled purpose OF 20,
lis administration to faithfully enforce both q
i'll law and the rules in the future. The nc
4, changes you have made in the rules ma
IT. but added to their justice and efficiency.
n So far as / have been able to learn there
M not n member of your Cabinet who has nC
he MS the result of his experience In ONCE,
~ ~ higher sense than before of the need OF
'es forcing that merit system In the public $!
'e- vice. which the civil service act and the rul
,et have established, and from those at the he
ar of the many offices In the postal anu custoi
all parts of the Union, and whether they
Republicans holding over. or new ofhct
son for believing that the merit system is I
welcomed as great benefit to the pun
n service; great influence Tor honesty
politics, and. q great relief to the lie
Of the Office. Now that the principles
"A | Justice upon which that system is based,
ties and ofiicial patronage; its great encoura
on, ment of the public schools and Its supp
,ba of high character and manhood In polit
ton the people than ever before, / feel sure +
WV IL is in the near future to have not onl
ms, greatly ENLARGED, but an almost unch
cci lenged enforcement. ~ Is reMy n,, ,ssae
ver test for spo Is system of office on one 81
mn. and for a merit system of office on
other.
uns The friends of the latter contend for
he'd free opportunity of every citizen to win
,ar office for himself by his own merits; OF
-. former for the exclusive right of great
'ul, GERS and great politicians to use all OF
,ver hundred thousand places they can con
nm and all the assessments they can extor'
H. bribe voters, to buy the press, to elect tn
Jug selves and keep their party in power aga
au the will of the people Between these
ion tremes there is unquestionaby a large n
~ a ber of candid and patriotic citizens o.
~ refer to these facts, so decisive OF the
y OF petuity of the merit system, with the
him conceit that II they were otherwise or
told | prospect was discouraging, my remainll
.oiu commissioners would avail anything. L
two wish to leave no doubt of my absolute I
his in the continuing triumph OF a reform
,yar lev and no friend of reform has the
49, reason for thinking ought to remain IN
iaee Office.
near Indeed, the triumph of that policy Is
him ABSOLUTE, and the contest already owe
I'd o. al'. III appinate onthoritv and esponsbllit
did appointments and removals rest, an
,rers which alone the thorough information u
-, | cd for a correct judgment as to the utili
no' the new system exists. In other W.
lrful we're it not for the interference of Cong
The men and politicians with the consttut
out lunetomSs ao ~ other o,iears bsving the
, the pointing power, there would now be n
position worthy OF notice to merit sy
of office. Those who oppose 1t viii. will
exceptions, be those only whose partit