Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-21
Mr.. Cleveland and the Offceholders

Mr.. Cleveland and the Officeholders.
The impression is gaining strength that
Mr.. Cleveland does not intend to act very
promptly in removing Republicans from
Office. and that he does not intend to make
as many removals as the party would
like him to make.
Mr.. Cleveland has said little or nothing
about his purpose with respect to the
oficeholders beyond what appeared in his
answer to the communication addressed
to him by the New York civil service re-
form organization.
Those who have called on him within
the last month and conve-sed with him
on political questions have found him
very reticent with respect to civil service
matters. One Tennessee Congressman
who returned from visiting him at AL
bany is reported to have said to some Of
his friends that Mr.. Cleveland intended to
make great concessions to the mugwump
sentiment, and that it began to look as if
the Republicans were going to be per-
mitted to enjoy the fruits Of the Demo
cratic victory.
1t is noticeable that the Young Mems
Democratic Club of Brooklyn lately pub
lished pamphlet calling attention to the
necessity for keeping close to the spirit as
well as the letter of the civil service law.
The tone of the publication was against
a general substitution of Democrats for
Republicans in the offices.
II is evident that a very strong pressure
will be brought to bear on Mr.. Clevand
against making many removals. 1t will
be urged that il it had not been for the aid
renderd by the boiling Republicans the
Democrats could not have got control OF
the government. 1t will also be ure ed
that civil service reform is popular, and
that if great many removals are made
the cry will be raised that the civil SER
vice law is being violated. Such cry, it
will be claimed, will do the party great
damage.
1t may be accepted as certain that, not
withstanding what Mr.. Cleveland has
written to the civil service refOrmers
and the chance expressions he may have
dropped, nobody knows with any degree
Of certainty what he intends to do with
regard to the offices. He may be able to
remove about all the present officials
without in any respect violating the civil
service law.
1t would not be difficult, perhaps, to
find good and sufficient reasons for remov-
ing five.sixths of them. The greater part
of them were doubtless appointed TOR
political services, or at the request of
those to whom the party was indebted for
political services, and, hence, they are
either strong partisans or are incOm-
peteut or worthless.
The incoming administration ought TO,
and probably will, have the civil service
force thoroughly inspected with the view
Of dismissing all of those who do not
come up to the civil service requirements
Most of those who come within the juris-
dictiOn Of the civil service law were APP
pointed before the law went into effect,
and they cannot, therefore, point 20 GER
tiicates from the Civil Service Commits
sion as evidence of their qualifications
Mr.. Cleveland is bound to make pretty
clean sweep in the offices for two strong
reasons. One reason is that the Demo-
Gratis who struggled tor a quarter of a
century TO get control of the government
are EnLlLlEu 10 the BCAcHto VI bhCAA VIZ
tory. They were victorious because, for
one reason, the people thought that the
Republican oficeholders We're corrupt. If
the Republicans are allowed to hold on TO
the offices the impression viii be pretty
strong that in the opinion Of Mr.. CleVe-
land and his advisers they are not such
rascals as they were alleged to be, and
that they were slandered. The other rea-
son is that if the government business
is 70 be done honestly and economically,
the very best men that can be obtained
must be appointed to do it. There will be
no Improvement if the idlers and incom-
petents who have lived at the expense of
the government for years, without rem
dering an equivalent for what they have
received, are allowed 10 remain. Mr..
Cleveland may allow himself to be infiu-
enced IN the wrong direction by Mr.. Cur
tbs and his fellow impracticSbles, but if
he does he will lose some of the credit for
good strong sense which he now enjoys.