The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-01-19
Mr.. Cleveland's Recent Letter and the
Policy of Perpetuity in Public Po-
sition-Rotation in Office and
Equality of Men.

sons VINO n0lu POSITIONS IN the public
service for life or during good behavior.
All the officers of tho army are of this
class. They are not removable, as the !
phrase goes, except for cause. There
may be some strong reasons for this in
the pecul lar nature of the service. So |
let that pass. All the officers in the ma
Wy are held in the same manner. And !
yet we think great naval or military |
commander is born such; that ia, he is |
born with the capacity to become such, |
and needs not TO be born again, either |
at West Point or Annapolis, to show |
the patent of his excellence. MANY |
passages in our history prove this All |
the officers of the federal judiciary land |
they are now quite numerous belong to |
the same class. 1t was said the United !
States judges must have life tenures to
secure their complete independence and
non-partisan diSinteresteduess. Yet in
recent celebrated case these Wanted
qualities failed, and the justices of tho
United States supreme court in the
cause submitted to them followed unan-
imously, without dissent, the political
leadership OF MIR. Blaine and Gov. Nor
ton, with all the subserviency of the
veriest place men. This may not be
conclusive, but it is we'll known in
stance going toward the decision of the
question how far perpetual official ten
lre has tendency to mako its iucum-
bents either independent of, or disinter-
ested in, the conflicts of party.
III Will not be denied that in this couu-
try the people are sovereign. The will
OF the people expressed under the form of
law should administer the government.
fhis Will make the laws, and in the
choice OF rulers from the least even
| unto the greatest, should execute them.
To wholly sever and separate large
order of persons engaged in the manage
ment OF public affairs from any respon-
sbilitY to the sovereign, either direct or
| indirect, must itself he a great evil, and
In The end load TO much greater in the
creation OF an extensive class of neu.
trails, exclusive, and absolute masters Of
the public, and not their servants.
We believe not only that all men were
created free aud equal, but also, as lar
as law can make them, so their rights
aud opportunities should be equal.
Hvery citizen should have the like and
same chances with his fellows, to the
honors and profits of official life. 1t
may seem al very proper, under pre-
tense either we'll or ill-iounded, to pro-
vide by law that the term of certain
iunct,onaries shall be perman mt. But
THIS special privilege and favor granted
TO them Is, III fact, Il disqualification and
exclusion of all others, 1t Us n limits-
ton and denial of the equal rights of the
masses Of their fellow citizens. The
practical operation of the present act of
congress, said IT, extend TO the cases OF
l4,OOO persons, is, whatever 10 may be
called, virtual acknowledgements of an
equal number and pra 'tcal exclusion
OF the whole number of ull other citizens
IRON these positions. What chance has
, now amy one Of II given number OF II ,OO(
. persons III private life to-day Tor one o
l these places? Anold man of such mum
D Der has nOnej a mlddle-aged man has ,
r smail chance. 1t is only quite Il yount
man VINO, after waiting Vainly for a res
lgnatlon, may at last abide the death O
n present encumbent. Now, we fee
that all this is Ou,rageOusly wrong ant
- uuJust In system OF government Dase,
U upon equality of rights. We must abau
:, uon either the doctrine of civic equalit,
q or this new dogma ui official perpetuitV
n Wo prefer to discard the latter. II /
anti Democratic, illberal and despotiC
l. tending directly to the building up of
d place holding arts Ucracy, irresponsible
= TO popular action and opinion.
The term rotation In oil 80 docs not %
cur IN any OF gu" constitutions; but a
q of them, both state aud national, ar
d clearly framed upon this principle.
70 Ia ueiereuco 10 this great principle
70 the equal right OF all men 10 post. {
Ia public honor and emolumeut, tho term
j. Ot presidents, governors, senator
~ congressman, Justices, and oven COZ
stables, are limited by Law
Il These are all removable. Good b,
h havlOr, merely, however uuquestiunst
T. does not leugthen tnoir official life
= moment beyond the Tune when the DO
" ple whom they serve may desire TO on
~ IL. Bucause such Is the operation of OF
d, beneiicent system of equality OF civ
10 rights tuat Others may justly enturta
laudaoie ambition 10 serve tne COuI
Try IA those various capacities.
10. Why not mako the president and cal
"a. net life OtticesY w, think one OF Il
strongest and pest reasons against SUI,
~ q measure Is, that others having Il
III same right 10 aud desire for the publ
he service IA these pusluOus shall not
=, by any law excluded tnerutrOm, "
''' know there are other reasons agail
as such q proposal, but this is una, aud
he sufficient one, uudor scheme of poll
he like ours, grounded upon au absolu
-. equality oi CNll ana political IRA
US cAlsvs, Nor is IL any excuse Tor, or {
III tense OF, tho doctrine of Official 4
tenure, that tho protected plac
-, are subordinate, aud, thereto
" should DO perpstuated. III
ice ~ merely saying thar the a
me bitiOn Of tae lew inHy he, or NAV Ia
IN. the chance 10 be, gtatilied. The Rspi
tiOus ol the many are too insiguiiicH
"S to Dc favored, aud may be crushed wi
en- out pa,ley. The objects OF ambiti
he among tnen are VaripdS, Yet u right
,l,. the chance of gr8tiil ing IL should 10
~ same. one man may wish to be De,
nv dent; another 10 he treasury clerk
di- consult aud yet another 10 DO cons
ha bic. ihe stations diilur widely.
- their attainment ought to be posi-
nv alike for al,
ent Aud i may happen, too, that the IA
tho duly commissioned and qualified
IA, constable may really enjoy has pi
'"' more than tho prestdeut, Inc const,1
rly aud the president are removable, bu
is proposed to mako the treasury cl,
v notsO.
>! Any aspirant for that position m
INC fail; he has not oven a chance of succ,
was Why? Because ono who already no
4 IL IL is retained by law therein. We
TO- that ia free country and professe
popular governments this answer 4,
lost Very lame aud impOtunt conclusion.
EN. IL is said that 10 make all Official u
him lions removable is To breed ami conti
- the breeding vi a class OF what
'uoi termed spollsmeu. The systom of RI
be ton In office, may have sucn tend
men CIV. But this evil Itself IL, We TIN
ao greatly exaggerated. IL ~ much
~ iargod npOn Dy sV-called advanced
spo' formers, without any very definite 1t
ii. ment Of its extent or character. w,
n of not believe TINT the spOilsmen spoI
IA, of ever constituted any controlling
"h' ment in the great mass OF tho whole
an ton. The greed Tor On %, Intense WI
IL prevails, docs not ailect largo clai
of our people-is, in fact, wholly
known among many classes. Nj
ews over, these INSCRIPTIONS placer
Ond must belong TO one or tho other OF
political parties Ia the country. III d