The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-01-03
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

In response to a letter from George Viii
liam Curtis, rs President of the National
Civil Service Reform League, Presiden,
Cleveland has written the following letter
While it is no doubt comforting to those
few Republican officials who faithfully at
tended to their duties and let politics alone
the mass of Republican officials, who
made it their chief business to figure rs
workers for the party rather than the coun
try that paid them, will be able to draw
from il but poor consolation,
The following is President elect Cleve
lands reply
ALBANY, Dec. p, lSS4-iIon. GRoRGF
WILLIAM CURTIS, President, etc.-Ded'
SIR. Your communication dated Dec
20, addressed to me on behalf of the Ma
tional Civil Service Reform League, has
been received. That practical reform in
the civil service is demanded, Is ahund
antly established by the fact that the
statute referred TO in your communication
to secure such result had been passed in
congress with the assent Of both political
parties, and by the further fact that sen.
timeut is generally prevalent among patri-
otto people calling for fair and honest
enforcement of the law which has been
thus enacted. regard myself pledged To
this, because my conception of the true
democratic faith and public duty requires
that this and all other statutes should be
in good faith, and without evasion, en-
forced, and because in the many utterances
made prior to my election aS president,
approved by the party to which | belong,
and which | have no disposition 10 dis
claim, | have, in effect, promised the peo-
pie that this should be done. | am not
unmindful OF the fact, to which you re-
fer that many of our citizens fear that the
recent party change in the national execu-
tive may demonstrate that the abuses
which have grown up in the civil service
are ineradicable. know that they are
deeply rooted, and that the spoils system
has been supposed to be intimately re.
lated to success in the maintenance OF
party organization, and am not sure that
those who profess to be friends OF that re-
form will stand firmly among its advocates
when they find it obStructing their way to
patronage and place, but, fully appreciat-
ing the trust committed to my charge, no
such consideration shall cause a relaxation
on NV part of an earnest effort to enforce
this law There is class of government
positions which are not within the letter OF
the civil service statute, but which are so
disconnected with the policy OF an admin
istrstion that removal therefrom of present
incumbents, in my opinion, should not be
Ill gde during the terms for which they
were appointed, solely on partisan grounds,
and for the purpose of putting in their
places those who are in political accord
with the appointing power, but many now
holding positions have forfeited all just
claim to retention, because they have
used their places for party purposes in
disregard TO their duty to the people, and
because, instead of being decent public
servants, they have proved themselves of
fensive partisans and interruptions manip-
ulatOrs of local management The lessons
of the past should be unlearned, and such
officials, as well as their successors, should
be taught that efficiency, fitness and devo-
ton to public duty are conditions of their
continuance in public places, and that a
quiet and unobtrusiye exercise of individ-
ual political rights is the reasonable meas.
ure of their party service. If | were ad,
dressing none but party friends | should
deem it entirely proper to remind them
that, though the coming administration is
TO be democratic, due regard for the PEG,
pies interest does not permit faithful party
work to be always rewarded by appoint
ment to office, and to say to them that,
while democrats may expect all proper
selections for office not EN-
braced within civil service rules will be
based upon sufficient inquiry as to fitness,
instituted by those charged with that duty,
rather than upon the persistent importantly
of self-solicited recommendation on behalf
of candidates for appointment
Yours very truly,
GROVER CLEVELAND.