Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-01-23
clYlL.sERvlCE REFORM.
Correspondence tho Natlon".
Reform League and Prcsidcnt-E'cce
C~leveland-Thc Latter Defines fiis losi'
ton on the subject of Reform.

| corrcsnondcnce Between the National
Reform League and President-E'ece
Cleveland-Tlle Latter Defines HIS iosi'
ton on the Subject of Reform.
New York, Dec. SO.-Thc following cor
rcspAldence explains itself:
NATIONAL Clv11.SERv1CE REFORM LEAGUE,
OFFICE PINE STREET, NEW YORK. Dec. ~,
1Ss4.-Hon. Grover Clcveland: SlI-Nr hnve
the honor to address you on behalf of the Na'
tional Civil.Scrvicc ReformI. c:.guc, an assocl'i-
ton composed of citizens of all parties. whose
sole purpose is indicated by its nalnc,aliu Whlch
takes no part whatever III parry coa W 1nrsGn
engaged in the Civil Service ana tne grave
mischiefs and dangers arising from
T S1aeF~l fd nr0scnPi a1t a ' ccntn 'ns has asrE fei,
lowed the change of party contio, OF INC
National Administrator have Produced 50
profound an impression ~ " ltnns t tnv, rno ,n,
form were taken with the cooperation OF
both parties in the passage OF the Ret"rln
net Of January l6, 1tSs. o nnG abuses 6sw w.len
are so strongly intrenched in the traditions ana
uSa~cs of both parties that there is naturally
a widespread 4nNie1! lest the Party y cnh hn ,, III
but. bcl,ov ng, as We DO. that the, reform
system can not be held 10 ne s sec tiGs o GS1anii
of such party changes, and recalling
With satisfaction and confidence your public
expressions fayoraeIe to reform n ana ma St.ir
of New York. we confidently commend
tho cause to your patriotic care in the cNer-
else OF the, great power win which the Alnsr-
fully yours, GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS.
President.
WILLIAM PORTS. Secretary.
John Jay. Moreticld Storey, j. Hall Pleas
nnis, w w. Montgomery. Everett =. Wheeler,
Frederic Cromwell, Morrill, Wyman. Jr., CARL
schnrz, silas ". Burt, 4: r. Macnonough
William Carey Sanger, William w. Aiken, EN-
ecutivc Committee.
The following is President-elect Cleve-
lands reply:
ALBANY, Dec. %. 1SS4.-Hon. George William
Curtis. President, etc: DEAR SlR-lour com
munication dated. December q. addressed tc
form League, has been received. mat pr'ctl.
cal reform in the Civil Service is demanded is
%abundantly established by the fact. that the
statute referred to in sour communication to
secure such result has been passed, in Con-
grcss. with the assent of both political parties,
and by the further fact that II sentiment is
people calling for a. fair and
which has been thus enacted. ] regard my.
self pledged to this. because my conception of
the true Democratic faith and public duty re:
| quircs that this and all other statutes. should
be, III good faith and without evasion, eli
forced, and because i'll the many uttcranccs
made prior to my election as President,
| approved by the party to which ! belong,
| and which l have no disposition to disclailn. !
have. in etfct~, promised the people that this
should he done. ,m not unmindful OF the
| fact, to which you rGfcr. that many Of our
citizens fear that the recent party change
in the National Executive may demon
stratc that the abuses which have grown
up in the civil service are ineradicahlc
/ know they are deeply rooted, and that the
spells system has been supposed to he init
matclv related to success in the maintenance
of party organization, and | am not sure THAI
those who profess TO tie friends OF that re
form will stand firmly among its advocates
when they find it obstructing their way tt
patronage and placS; But t1lly nppreciatinf
on my part Of an earnest effort, to Ell
force this law. There is a class OF
Government positions which are no
within the letter of Civil-service statute
but which are so disconnected with thu
policy of an administration that removu
therefrOm OF present incumbentS. in my Opin
ion should not be made during the terms 70
which they were appointed, solely on partisan
ground and for the purpose of putting il
their places those who. are IN pc
litlcal accord with the, appointin!
tons have forfeited all Just claim to lptention
because they have used their places for pnrt.
purposes in disregard to their duty to the PEG
ple,and because, instead of being decent publ
servants, they Il proved themselves often
sive partisans and INSCRIPTIONS manipulation
of local party management. The lessons OF TIL
past should he unlearned, and such officials
as we'll as their SUCCESSORS, should be laugh
that efficiency. fitness and devotion to publ
public places. Yours, very t uly,
GROVER CIEvEI, AND.