The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-01-08
IHpoRTANT' ( coRREspoEIDllF.E,lyc5E ii N
Clviisssrvieo REFORM !

| New York, December 29.-The fol.
lowing correspondence explains itself:
NATL CIVIL Service REFoRM LEAGIys.
OFFICE PIERl STREET.
" NEW YORK, December 20, 1884. 3
Hon. Grorer Cqcpclahd ;SrR: We
have the honor to address you on behalf
OF the National Civil Seryice Befornt
League. an association composed of:
citizens of all parties, whose sole puy.
pose Is indicated by its name, and which
takes no part whatever In party contro.
versy. The vast increase ia the number
OF persons engaged in the civil service.
and the grkve mischiefe and dapgers
arising from the general prescription lin
the service which for half century has
followed change cf pe:ty control Of the
national administration, have produced
so profound an impression upon the pub.
lie mind that the first effective steps
toward reform were taken with the co..
operation of both parties In the passage
OF the reform Act of Janusry 10Th, 1883.
The abuse which that Act seeks to cor.
rect, however, are 80 strongly entrenched
in the traditions and usages of both paY.
ties that there 10 naturally q widespread
anxiety lest the party change in the
National Executive, effected by the late
election, should chow them to be insu.
perable; but believing as we do that tho
| reformed system cannot be held 10 be
securely established until It has safely
passed the ordeal of such party change,
aud recalling with satisfaction and con.
fidenqe your public Expressions favorable
70 reform and your official acts as the
Chief Executive Of the State Of New
York, we confidently commend this cause
to your patriotic care in the exercise of
the great power with which the Ameri-
can people have entrusted you.
Respectfully, yours,
GEO. WIN, CURTIS, President.
WM. PoTTs, Secretary.
Pleasants, w. w. Montgomery, Everett
p. Wheeler, Frederick Cromwell, Mcf.
rell Wyman, Jr., Carl Schurz, siias w.
Burt, A. 8. McDonough, VIM. Carey
Sanger, VIM. w. Aiken, Executive Com.
mittee.
PRESIDENT. ELECT CLEyELAND'S REPLY.
albany N. Y, December Is, 1884.
Hon. George Wiliidus Curtis, President,
Gc.--DEAR Sir Your communication,
dated December 20, addressed to me on
behalf of the National Civil Service Re. /
form League, has been received. That
manded, 10 abundantly established by
tho fact that tho statute referred to In.
your communication, 10 secure such re. J;
suit has been passed In Congress, with
the assent of both political parties, and
by the further TACT that tho sentiment is
generally prevalent among patriotic peo.
pie, calling for fair aud honest enforce
ment of the law, which has been thus
enacted. regard myself pledged to
this, because my conception Of true
Democratic faith and public duty re.
quires that this and oil other statutes {
shunld be In good faith and without
evasion enforced, nnd because in mary
utterances made prior to my election as
President, approved BY the party TO VT 4 III 4
belong, and which / have no disposi.
tion to disclaim, I have in effect promised
the people, that this should be done. I
am not nnmindfiil OF the fact 10 which
you refer, that many of our citizens fear
that the recent party change In the aS,
National Executive may demonstrate
that abuses which have grown up In
civil service are ineradicable. know
that they are deeply rooted and that tho {
spells eyssess hes bsFR anE.,t==::sd to 10 IIsse
ultimately ;e!r.ed to success in the min.
tenance of party organization, and en-
wv bItC Iuat tSlt thOs6 N5uO pIUIGES O0 y
friends of this reform, Will stand firmly. /.
among its adgooates when they fiud 1t
obstructipg their way to patronage and
place. But fully appreciating the trust
committed 70 my charge, no such conpid.F
GRAFTON shall cause aSrelaxation on my
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 Z
administration that the removal there.
|, rom of the present ipeumbents, s Ia nv
opinion, should not be made during the J
terms for which they were appofnfeI.
solely on partisan grounds and for the
purpose of putting In their places Fthogaf,
gvhe were in political accord with the
appointing power. But many now hold. 7
log such ifos; ;tiars sss5 s.s.s ted Ell ;,ss
claima 10 retention. because they have
used their, placea for party pnynoses In :
dIsregagd of their duly To-. tine people,
psS:::s: 5ssrvants, =. they have proved theth.