National Republican., 1885-08-31
Question OF Responsibility.

The Mugwump newsp pers continue to
indoIse The President and condemn his ad
ministrat.on. They appear to have some
occult process of ratiocilstlon by which
they succeed in vindicating the Chief
Magistrate while putting the great se2l
Of their solemn condemnation on most
Of the work performed by his subordnates
Is t not the reverse Of complimentary to
asset or suppose that the President is not
responsible for the Official acts done In the
executive departments and not disapproved
By HIM? He selected the heads of lcpart-
ments, and he and they decided upon heads
of bureGus. Is It to be assumed that his re-
sponsibili;y ceased when those officials were
sworn into ofllce9
We have no doubt that the President is
not only willing but desirous to shoulder
every responsibility that belongs to his
Office, and it is not much Of a stretch Of
fancy to imagine him profoundly disgusted
with thoce fool friends who try to make 1t
appear that some of the depai tments have
run away from his control aud are knock
ing his policy into splinters without leaving
any responsibility on his hands.
If there be one thing for which President
Cleveland is better known and more re-
spected than for any other trait of his
mental and moral makeup 1t is his self
reliance. He has th..t confidence in himself
without which no man can achieve dis
tinctiOn In executive positions. He is the
last man who would desire or attempt to
shirk responsibility. The acts in various
departments which the Mugwumps de-
nounce are virtually the acts of the Presi-
dent, and no true friend Of his would try
to helittle him or his great Office by repre-
senting that he is in no way responsible
therefor.
The New York Times, mammoth OF Mug
wump newspapers, says 1t is no secret that
Commissioner Blacks ideas about reform in
the civil service do not agree with those of
the President. TheTlmes then goes on to re-
late th..t not long ago Commissioner Black
attempted to get rid Of eighteen medical
examiners in the pension Office and to fill
their places without reference to the pro-
visions Of the civil service act, but after he
had appointed one examiner the President
amended the rules so that they would un-
questionably require thcGe places to be filled
by cOmpe e.,ive examination. "Of COURSE"
says the Times, " the commissioner regards
these positions IN the state examining
Loards as spoil. His operations in regard
to them have not been checked, and the
Office of examining surgeon is not covered
by the civil service act and rules.n
The work performed by Commissioner
BlCck which meets the special disapproval
Of the Times is the reorganization of the
loards Of examining surgeons all over the
country. 1t has ben going on for three
months. How Il is done Is shown by the
Times's New Orleans correspondent, who
says the commissioner removed "three Of
| the most eminent physicians In the ciSy,
"prominent alike for their professional and
social Gtanding, their probty, their loyalty,
and their faithful public service" and put
| in their places the indicted doctor "and two
schoolboys of the ward politician grade"
In his letter OF Dec. "a, almost two
| months after his election, the President
elect wrote thus to George William Curtis
There Is n class of government positions
which Grc not within the letter of the civil SER
| vice statute, but which are 50 disconnected
with the policy of an administration that the
ICmoyal thcrcirom ofp?csent incumbentS in
my opinion, should not be made during the
terms for which they were appointed solely on
pariban Gtounds and for tho purpose of put
tirg in their places those who are in political
/ accord with the appointing power.
The Times cites the civil service reform
/ pledge In that Christmas letter and then
very pOintedly inquiries;
! What have the duties of m examining sur