National Republican., 1885-09-25

service commissioners should he IN political |
accord with the administration. Mr.. Eaton |
might properly have placed his resignation |
at the disposal Of the President Immediately |
after the Inauguration, for the retirement
Of one of the Republican commissioners
was logical sequence of Mr.. Clcveland's
election. II q Republican President shall
be inaugurated on the 4th Of March,
1883, it will be proper to 50 re.
adjust the personnel OF the commission
that two of its three members shall be Re-
publicans. In order to save the President
from embarrassment 1t would he well in
future for all the commissioners to hand In
their resignnti tions whenever there is po-
litical change of administration. This
would leave the President free to accept OF
decline, as he might deem eXpelient, AMI
would be good example of correct civil
service methods.
The NATIONAL REPUBLICAN, Is unable
to share, to any considerable extent, the
regret with which the President accepts
Mr.. Eaton's resignation. Even If the po.
litcal proprietes did not demand that
Democrat should take the place of one OF
the Republican members of the board, we
should still he able to contemplate the re-
tirement of Mr. Eaton with good degree
Of composure. In the formulation OF fine
theories Mr.. Eaton is calculated to achieve
far greater success than in the practical
duties Of official life. Had he been less of
a theorist and more of practical worker
the reform to which he has given so much
thought would have made greater progress
Iof,rn bn al ~
the new administration. Had he been
made Of stuff as stern as the new and pecu-
| liar situation demanded, lie would nave
stood up and battled for the law when it
was openly violated and cunningly evaded,
| as IL has been in repeated instances, under
| his very eyes since last March. Mr. Eaton
retires with the consent Of both parties, for
| the Presidents regret Is not echoed by
either the politicians or the masses In either
OF the two great political organizations.
The country welcomes the Presidents
renewed declaration Of devotion to the
great and good cause Of civil service reform.
| The people desire to believe in the Pres!
dents sincerity. They do not forget that
he was a civil service reformer in Buffalo
and in Albany, and they hope that It is not
yet too late for him to be civil service re-
former in the great Office which he now
holds. They give him credit for resisting
the pressure of the hungry hordes who would
tramplc the civil service law under their
feet. They know that lie has stood up
mGnfully in many instances when pOtentltes
of his party have sought to do violence to
the letter Of the law and ill the clerical
,,F, I,
ineXporenCc, ignorance, ana incaplcity.
1t is believed that the President has not
consented to any direct violation or artcul
evasion of the text Of the law. But 1t IS
not apparent that the promise of his Christ
mas letter to apply the principles Of the Law
TO the public service generally has been
kept.
If the President would convince the
country that he is sincere In his professions,
lie will forthwith dismiss the first assistant
postmaster general, who has for months
past been making mOckery AMI sham Of
those professions.
1t is not ncedful to go into the details Of
this mans work. 1t gives the lie direct, a
hundred times day, to the pledges made
by the head of the administration. II those
pledges were made to be kept this man will
20 out Of Office at once.
And when he Is out TuB REPUBLICAN
will call the names Of others who, for like
offenses, should be sent after him or with
him into retirement,
II is proper to add that the political sl-
gacity of the President has been made
apparently the skiilful timing of his reply
TO Mr.. ENton's letter Of resignation, with a
view to its effect on the Democratic con-
vcntion of the state Of New York. 1t was
q frank confession of the Presidents fear
that the action of that convention on the
civil service question might DC out OF
harmony with his views and wishes.
The fear was well founded, as ninety
per cent. Of the Democracy, however fer
yidly they may make favorable declarations
on this issue, are earnestly opposed to any
step in the direction Of practical reform.
III conclusion, we have to say to tho
President that In all he may do toward car
rying out the civil service law or in a broader
application Of its principles he may depend
on the honest and hearty support Of Tn
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN,.