Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1885-01-07
FRANK AND FEARLESS.
IS WHAT PROF. GREGORY CALLS
ClEVELANO'S LETTER.
NC Hidden Meaning OF Contempla ted
'ef'h' Lght"--An Honest Express
sion of Purpose to Root Out
the Spells System.

WASHINGTON CITY, JAN 5.-Recent criti
cisms by some Republican members OF con-
gress upon Governor Cleveland's civil-service
letter were made the topic of an interview
with Professor J. NJ. Gregory, Of the civil
service commission Saturday. In response
to the first inquiry he said:
"YeS, l have read carefully Governor
Cleveland's letter to George Will
lam Curtis, and it seems to ma
an honest expression Of sincere
and settled conviction, with no hidden
meaning and no contemplated afterthought
Paragraphs relating to those who have used
their places for party purposes, which, to
some of his critics, appear to be designed as q
loophole for wide partisan prescription,
are altogether too large and plain for such
construction. They are so open
frank, and fearless as to forbid all thought
of their hiding anything sinister and malig'
naut. 1t is true that by strained interpre.
tation of these paragraphs large majority
of Republicans in office might be brought
under condemnation and ousted from their
places, and this would probably be true also
of thousands of Democrats who have
doubtless gained office already under
civil-service rules, and who have
probably supported by their word
and vote the candidates of their
party. To charge the president-elect with
intending such prescription is to accuse him
of using most heartleSs irony in a letter ad
dressed to some of his most influential sup
porterS, the foremost friends of civil service
reform and his prospective administration
Has not this letter done much to quiet the
apprehension of clerks in the government
employ!H
Most certainly, but it is most welcomed
by the earnest and patriotic friends OF thi:
great cause of reform, who look with dread
upon any return to the spoils system. 1t i
natural that persons in office should see In II
only promise Of protection, and that office
seekers, on the other hand, should regard Il
as hostile to their hopes, but it
true significance rises far above thest
personal considerations Of ms ano
outs 1t is evident the hatefn
and dangerous spoils system Of ofice-get
ting and office holding can be rooted os'
only by the persistent efforts Of successive
administrations, and, perhaps, successive
parties. 1t was given to the Republican ad'
ministration to begin the work, and Presi
dent Arthur and his cabinet deserve well
from their country that they have so noblJ
met the demand of duty without hest
tdtlou Lucy lave Openeo bue Bieo'
departments and large offices of the country
to the most meritorious, without question a
to party character. President Arthur
hearty and magnanimous support of his 70
form will make his administration as
famous in history as it has made it populs,
among the best of his living countrymen
But it needs the equally hearty and mag
unanimous efforts and sacrifices Of hi:
successor and of the Democratic party, in it
turn, to fully extirpate this accursed upa!
tree of the patronage system These effort
Governor Cleveland's letter fairly promises
and in this light I accept it in the full
breadth of its frank assertion If it is car
ried out in its letter and spirit, it will plact
the name of its author high in the list Of th
best presidents of the republic.