The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1885-10-07
Washington Letter.

]
The most interesting events of the
week have been the resignation of Civ.
il Service Commissioner Eaton, and the
reply of the President accepting the res
ignation. One of the most interesting
coming events will be the appointment
of "A new set of commissioners. Who
will they be, what will they do? 1t is
certain that the new Democratic Adj
ministratiOn has been much hindered
and embarrassed by the Civil Service
Law az interpreted by Republican
Civil Service Commission. II clean
sweep could have proceeded the en-
forcement of the law, it would have
been salutary. But the attempt to
graft the law upon an unspeakably
bad civil service, that rotten heritage
of the Republican party, has resulted
in the negatiOn of much for which pa
triots have striven through all the dark
and corrupt era of the ascendency of
the party of spoils. No one with the
least acquaintance with the history of
politics since the war can deny that
the Republican party has been the par
ty of spoils. And it has appropriated
the spells in such an open and atrocious
way, from the insignificant places of
scrub-wOmen and towel-washers up to
the highest judicial places, that its
professions of friendliness to proposed
reforms in the distribution of office,
smell 80 strong of hypocrisy ~ to
make one sick.
When Mr.. Cleveland was placed in
the Presidents chair il was supposed
that he would turn out many of the
corrupt men who never were appointed
on civil service rules, or for any service
except such as they rendered in the
bad coarse of fixing elections, buying
votes, stuffing ballot-bOxes, and steal,
ing the Presidency as in 1876. But,
the President has been embarrassed by
the knowledge that packed Republic
can jury in the Senate will sit i'm judg.
ment upon all his appointments. 1t is
possible but not probable that the Sen.
ate will be Democratic before the lapse
of the Presidential term. Unless this
shall come about, there can be no hope
of complete and thorough civil service
reform during the present administers
ton. Reform is impossible while the
offices are filled with the corrupt and
cOrrupting men who have been placed
in office by a long line of Republican
presidents, cabinet officers, senators
and members.
Change and publication is crying
demand in all the Departments. The
oft used metaphor of the Augean Sta,
bles is not exaggeration when applied
to them: Democrats. well selected and
good men, have been given the promi-
nent offices. In other words new COM
manders have been placed over an alien
army, host of servile mutineers, whose
study, day and night, is to assassinate
the cause under the banner of which
they are marching. The new cOmman-
ders sincerely desire to regain the land
of political honesty and economy once
held by their fathers, and they have
given the command about march in
healthy tones. The Colonies repeat the
command but with less confidence, for
they are nearer the army. while the
captains and lieutenants initiate 1t with
wink well understood by the treach.
erous host
There will never be any serious re-
form in the Departments until at least
One-half of the light fingered expert
surbordinates are put out, and at least
one-half of the army of civil service
employees is composed of men in hearty
accord with the sentiment and prin-
ciples which placed Democratic Press
ident in the White House. There
is to-day in the Interior Department
nearly every one of the officials who
have been responsible for the ring
se'S "''ca hso iohk tIlS
department. Some Of them are kept
to day i'm the face of the fact that their
presence has been the cause of scandal
in the future. There seems to be
timid spirit running all through the
business of the Interior Department,
conservative dread of hurting the feel>
ings OF the old ring officials. The same
spirit which dictated the recent lodging
around the corner appointments in the
Patent Office is found in many of the
bureaus of this department. There is
no doubt that the service here would be
greatly improved ifas clean a sweep of
the chiefs of bureaus We're made as has
been made in the Treasury Depart
ment