The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-26
What Civl-Service Reform Really Means to
the Present Observation-Disclosures of
Senator Harrison as to Combinations.
Expectation that Eb. Henderson Will
Receive Territorial Appointment.
Senator Logan Proposes to Find Out as to the
Offensive Partisanship of Postmaster
Putnam-The Case Of Dakota.
REMOVALS AND APPOINTMENTS.
The Action of the observation-disclosures of
Senator Harrison as to Confirm ations.
al to 10 Tndi lia

The Action of the President-Attitude OF
Senator Harrison as to Confirm ations.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Dec. 25.-The idea prevails to a
considerable extent that the President has been
quite conservative in the matter of removals
from Office, but imagine that if he has been
fattering himself with such an idea, that idea
has been dispelled since the assembling of Con-
gress. When he came to collect the names of
presidential appointees he found the list of such
proportions that he was forced to excam
Great heavens, have made all these appoint
mentsg' And that is not all. Not more than
one In ten of those appointed to Office under the
Cleveland administration are included in the list
sent to the Senate because only small portion
of the federal Office holders require confirmation
by the Senate.
1t was not imagined for a moment even by
those who knew that all the ncumbents of the
Offices on March 4, 1885, could be turned out at
once. or within year or more, without serious
embarrassment to the public service. They
have been turned off more rapidly than the Eeeds
of the service would allow, but not nearly so
fast as the needs of thousands of hungry appli-
cauts demanded. Ths Republicans were adopts
in government business. The Democrats knew
nothing of it. They thought the Offices were
sinecures, and the business run at loose ends.
No less parsonage than Secretary
Manning, himself newspaper man, and sup
posed to know something Of the machinery of
the government, seems to have been almost as
ignorant as any one else of all this business
when he entered the Treasury Department.
When he had taken the time to gain some little
knowledge of his Department, he said he ''had
no idea of the magnitude of the public business,
and the great system by which the work was
transacted" etc. 1t is great and grand system,
inaugurated by the Republican party and man
aged so successfully that not only was no money
distracted without the knowledge of the Secre-
tary land the few thieves captured and put in
jail), but none could be abstracted without the
immediate detection of tie theft. Mr.. Manning,
and all other Cabinet officers, as we'll as other
new officials in charge of work, soon found out
that the men who had been transacting this
business were skilled men, and in order to keep
everything going, these men must be retained
until new men could be properly inducted into
their places.
That is about all the civi-service has
has been held who could be dis
pensed with In this city, as well as through
out the country, the chief officers have been
turned out, while the undermen, clerks ETC.,
have been kept until the chief felt that be could
safely put new men in their places The system
of making appointments had been so improved
that only the best men were at the front holding
the various federal offices throughout the State.
So far as know, and have watched the matter
with great deal of interest and attention for
years, reasons existed for the removal of
these officials save and except that they were
Republicans Feeling afraid to proceed without
the semblance of q cause, Cabinet officers have
descended so far as to write charges against the
men they found in Office, and old, tried and
faithful officials havo been tried on trumped-up
and false charges and without being allowed to
see the charges or face their accusers, they have
been dismissed from the service, and their
places, in many instances no doubt, given to the
accusers, or if not to them, men in most
probability as unfit for the trust as they could
have been. This has been the result of running
an administration with the view to make one
believe it was in favor of civil-servce reform,
while ali excepting the President and very,
very few followers, were dead-set against such q
reform.
Indiana has suffered like other States in this
matter. 1t may be she has Jared worse than
many others. She has certainly Jared badly
Men like Mckay, Carter, Kirkpatrick, and many
others, have been forced out, and their places in
several instances filled with ncompetents, to
say nothing worse. The rames of these new
officials are now being sent to the Senate for its
action. Knowing how charges were manufact-
uIed and filed against the former incumbents of
their positions, these men, suspecting the worst
are now begging to be heard by the Senate be-
fore any adverse action is taken.
Senator Harrison is flooded with letters from
these Democratic :ncumbents and their friends,
asking that they be allowed to appear and de-
fend any charges that may be presented against
them. While Senator Harrison will no doubt
see that these men are accorded a hearing and
allowed an opportunity to disprove whatever
charges are or may hereafter be pending against
them, request of this kind comes with bad
grace from men who are, as the Sage of Gram
ercy Park would remark, ''enioying the
usufruct" Of Offices gained on charges where the
accused was not even allowed hearing.
These Democratic officials in the State of In.
diana are fortunate in having a man like Mr..
Harrison to hear and determine to q great extent
matters of this kind in which they are interested
They knew when they wrote to him that they
would get fair and even justice, notwithstand-
ing the manner in which many of them came
into possession OF Offices held by mis- political as
we'll as personal friends. I am sure the Senator
will make no factious opposition to the con-
hrmation of any of these Democratic office
holders but where one is found who is unfit,