St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-10-01
Civil Service Reform.
What President Cleveland has to Say
About It.

Anything that President Cleveland
may have to say about civil service re
form is of interest at this time. Dor
man b. Eaton, chairman of the civil
service commission, resigned his posi-
ton last week. President Cleveland
in his reply gave some expression to
his views of the subject. After speak
ing of the inestimable value of the
work done 10y Mr.. Eaton and express
ing satisfaction that his zeal and faith
had not led him to suppose the reform
unsuited to the rules which ordinarily
govern progress in human affairs, or
that it should at once reach perfection
and universal acceptance, and that he
had been willing patiently to accept
good results as they, step by step,
could be gained, holding every ad-
vance with unyielding steadfastness,
Mr.. Cleveland says:
The success which thus far has at
tended the work of civil service reform
is largely due to the fact that it's prac-
teal friends have proceeded upon the
theory that real and healthy progress
can only he made us such of the people
who cherish perniciOus political ideas,
long fostered and encouraged by vi
ciOus partizanship, are persuaded that
the change contemplated by the reform
offers substantial Improvement and
benefits. A reasonable federation for
old preiudices, graceful recognition
of every aid, IA sensible utilization of
every instrumentality that promises
assistance, and Il constant effort to
demonstrate the advantages of the
new order of things, are the means by
which this reform movement will in
the future be further advanced, the
opposition of incorrigible spOilsmen
rendered Intellectual and the cause
placed upon a sure foundation.
OF course there should be no surren-
der of principle, nor backward step
and all laws for the enforcement of the
reform should be rigidly executed but
the benefits which its principles prom
Use will not be fully realized unless the
acquiescence of the people is added to
the stern assertion of a doctrine, and
the vigorous execution of the laws. 1t
is a source of cOngratulatiOn that there
are So many friends of civil-seTvice re-
form marshaled OH the practical side
of the question and that the number
is not greater of those who profess
trlendiiness for the cause, and yet mis- |
chievOusly and with superciliOus self
righteousness discredit every effort !
not in exact accord with their attenu- !
ated ideas, decry with carping criti-
cism the labor of those actually in the |
field of reform, and ignoring the con-
ditions which bound and qualify every
struggle for radical improvement in |
the affairs of government, demand |
complete and immediate perfection.
| believe in civil-service reform and |
its application in the most practical |
form attainable, among other reasons,
because it opens the doors for the rich |
and the poor alike to a participation in |
public place holding. And | hope the |
time is at hand when all our people |
will see the advantage of reliance for
such an opportunity upon merit and
fitness, instead of dependence upon
the caprice or selfish interest of those
who impudeDtly stand between the
people and the machinery of their gov
ernment. In the one case a reasonable
and the education which is
freely furnished or forced upon the
youth of our land, are the credentials
to office in the other the way is found
IN favor secured by a participation in
partisan work often uniting a person
if not mentally and physical