Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-09-24
Correspondence Between the President
and Civil Service Commissioner E.ntnn.

and Civil Service Commissioner Eaton.
WAsHINeToN, September 23d.-The fol-
lowing letter of resignation by Dorman B.
Eaton, President nf the Civil Service Com
mission, and the Presidents reulv thereto.
which was received l,y Nj Eaten this
morning, have been furnished the Associ-
ated Press for publication
UNITED STATES CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D. c., July 2S ISsj
SIR In execution of the purpose of which |
informed you several weeks since, | very re-
spectiully tender my resignation as Civil Service
Commissioner, but, out of Difference to your
wishes, Will not urge its acceptance until Such
time in the autumn as SOu may iiad convenient
for q new appointment. Ii may not. hope be
thought inappropriate if add some words of
explanation Prior to the passage of the Civil
Service Act OF January l6. 1883, I had
held under three earlier Presidents and
was then holding under President Arthur. an
official position closely snalogous to my present
office as Civil Service Commissioner Fornearlv
the whole period had served without cGnlpen-
sation, and had been compelled to bear my own
travelling and other expenses, including those of
journey TO Europe and the preparation OF an
extensive report, made at the request of one of
those Presidents, but printed by Congress |
had taken an active part, by which my time
was largely faxed in connection with the prepa-
ration and passage Of that law When The time
arrived for executing its provisions il seemed to
me that could not fsirly be called upon 20
| make further sacrifice OF my private interest
in aid of evil service reform beside
the enemies of reform were so kind as to charge
that had promoted the Act for the treble pur-
pose of gaining notoriety and Office and salary
But President Arthur, without the least intima-
tiOn 10 me OF his purpose, nominated me and I
was confirmed as Commissioner. When | was
about to decline friends of reform with whom
had labored for many years in its behalf in
sisted that was III duty bound to accept, and
those enemies with amiable consistency made
clear their purpose, charging any refusal on my
part as coWaTdly and shrinking from the speedy
and disgraceful failure sure to follow any at
tempt to sustain so chimercal and ilnpractica-
bic statute. In such a situation | had hardly
liberty Of choice, but entered upon my official
duties with the declared purpose of remaining
hardly more than year, within which at least
the constructive work of making rules and reg
ulatOI~. and of enforcing the new system nj lis
most difficult stage, could be accomplished. At
the end of that time | had become more
deeply than ever interested in
the practical application of the new
system. Its great utility and easy processes
mad gained the commentator OF the President
united more largely the party in its power and
secured from a committee OF Thirteen members
of the Democratic House of Representatives a
unanimous report declaring the great useful
ness of the law and rules, and commencing
what it described as the intelligent, efficient
non-partisan and conscientious work of the
Civil Service Commission. | could then see no
obligation to remain longer. That had been
done which the enemies of reform had declared
to be impossible. The law and rules were vim
dicated, but there We're impractical methods
which were no5 fully matured, and remained
TO take part in their development When
few months later was about to insist on being
relieved, those friends dissuaded me. by urging
that now would be the critical period in the
case, rs a new party would come into power
and saw plainly, from hostile journals, that |
should be charged, if | resigned, with fleeing
from the peril of that crisis. It was clear
enough that no excuse from my long service
no declaration of my confidence in the reform
policy of the Presidential candidate and states
men of the Democratic party, would relieve me
from the damaging plauSibiity OF such a
charge. As private citizen, would ScOrn the
lmputatlOn, but as Ii public officer. and as being
in II private way somewhat identified with the
cause of civil service reform. mad no right to
make an opportunity tor its natural enemies
III either party to use such Il charge
to its injury. There was another reason why
could not tender my resignation, and should
have refused to do 50 had it been requested at
near the time OF your accession to Office for
should regard il n pernicinus prCcesleut utterly
repugnant to the spirit of the Civil Servict Act
to treat the office OF Civil Service Commissioner
as political, and hence as one to be filled az the
beginning of each Presidential term. These
considerations constrained me to continue in
my place uHul the reform policy OfyOur Admin
istration, 50 clearly defined i'll your declaration
should be as uumisiakably develOaed in vour
acts as President rs II had been in your acts rs
Governor OF New York. That time has arrived.
no candid man can longer pretend to regard
that poilcy as indefinite or doubtful. Every one
OF the hve mouths OF your administration cur
Ing which the Civil Service Act and rules have
been enforced with as much BREADTH frmuees
and fidelity as under that of President Arthur
has not only added new evidence of the utility
~ ~ ti,e g" - S.C' upon "LlcH ne euist1tuiated
~ e1t-iICl put iilS nut Iiule gehh'e me
fully enforce both the law and The rules in the
lutule; Inc ieW changes you nave made III the I
IutOa HdNC HNe "HGCu 90 tuelT justice ana ct !
there is not "a member OF Your CGbine, who has /
not, as the result Of his experience in office
sl1st,l $50 sit'u oSlo;S o. Wy ueeu on en-
t'4S y y stvil III iil3iIc SetNl W4'cn
me me WI service Act ana 'iIes nave eStablished
anu rom nose ~ the nt1 o. hi;l'iy oiees nthe
P'staI ttl customs service, 10 iilch me eNalni
- - - ''' -. - "a ~ -ioil' ara
'''tS'-''t - ''ic t'Ls 4iVi4lH5 over or !
hN" N1ltei9 Lt"H tIe gtuVt parry, Idefe has I
v'S I'' 'u 'eI4eN4bs 'iiat tiie merit eyS-
~ ~, y w, & . =; q S,Ce' AeHeAt I'D t4e (
s y T. =. ~ - ~ !, ~ ipl hp!itsts IN !
.ilo u 5teat iel-et 10 tIle hetas % once
- wy lrlN ol Justice Ui'ol "Hlch mat Sys-
sSll, @ . y.,t'' u l." sil'.V- patronage,
az '.-' N'4iN "a i''' o--yH !'s great en-
cGHtSEeluells ga puotlc schoois ana lts support /
"a tI lil-i .,i''-, te.e' Iuu ItuiloNI lh poAucS,
tte i no" pfi''- noi l0i'ltuI CON -l9cd by /
~ tile ilSat lu1uIS 20 ilc ll9i ON! greatly en-
IaIEtd Du' au i.iiAoa. uiiciiouehSud enforce =
~ l. -9 my sl' ~ ',s s"eet we people
ti9 i3iil4c-ol'1' t contest ivt tat spuiIS system
pi CluNS "il We o.Nel. I.e AieheS OF lhe latter
1,htNi'u lot ..'s tite uA'P't.lHlE OF every clli-
..eu 70 "ilt an olltr ipf himself by his own
merits OF tle ioilheI, i'I yhe exclusive light of
great ohceiS ttH great p'hllctitiis TO use ali of
thc ilihured thousand places they can control,
ard All the assessments lEey can eNtorJ, to bribe
votes, 10 BUY the press, 10 elect themselves,
aIu TO Keep theif party IN power against
the VIII oI the people Between I
these extremes there IS unqucStionabiy
large nCnihef o! calltiiq ana paltloUc citizens.
90 NOT feteT 70 theSe ldcts, so declSiNc OF the
pefpe.ully 81 the merit system, WHh the vain
cohceit that II they were otherwise,
or lhe prosper was not declslYe, my
remaining commissioner would avail
aiytnhlg; but Wlsh 10 leave no
uoupt OF my absoiute Ialth III the continuing
triumph OF the re4oTlh poicy, ana no friend of
reform mas inc le;tst reason Tor thinking that |
ought 10 remain IN my once. indeed, the tri- !
uniph OF tHat poilcy Is now absolute and the
contest Already over III tlat part OF the Govern
nenl 10 WhlSh, ABOVE al, legitimate authority
ana responsibility for appointments and remov-
ais rest, ana IN Wh1ch alone thorough infor-
NATION IS needed ior the good Judgment
as 10 the utility OF the new system, exists.
IN other words were IL not for the
interference by CoDsTesSlnen ana politicians
with the CONSTITUTIONAL Iuuctlons ana intended
liberty OF the PRESIDENT, and OF other officers
having 'he appointing power, tnere would now
be no opposition Worthv Oh notlce TO the merit
system oi once. Inose VINO approve 1t will,
Win ieW exceptions, pe shose whose particlpa-
lon IN appointments anu removals is an abso-
lute usulpatloh ana lltermeuallng by which
the counterpoise OF the government has been
lhpliISu, anu lts peIPetuty Is DelnS threat
ened. 10 thal usurpallon, 10 the seitsh aims of
those VINO pfolnote tie galieilIlg OF spolls and
the distribution eI ounces, whith are It's motive
iorce' te oteil pen ot merit Ior appoint