Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-08-06

The Condition of CivilService Reform
under the party change of administration
Five months only have passed since the in
auguratlon OF the President, and the aston
ishirg progress Of the cause which The
League is organized 10 promote is shown By
the fact that public opinion upon the sub
jcct Is already so sound. il sees so Gle early
that a total chang in the employees OF The
civil service for party ressons would be as
absurd and demoraliziDg and dangerous as
total change in the military and naval
service Tor the same reasons, that az last a
President is able as well as willing 20 resist
the party pressure for spois. While many
changes have been made-and many
changes ought 10 be made for the
highest public reasons-thcre has been no
clean sweep" Of the public service. The
reformed law within irs limits has been exc
cuted with entire fidelity and the country
has seen with amazement and satisfaction
the unprecedented spectacle Of a Democratic
head of Department enforcing the appoint
ment OF Republican clerk against the in
trigues OF Democratic subordinate officers
and despite the remonstrance OF the Demo
cratic Representatives in Congress from the
clerks district This, indeed, was but ODE,
dience TO law, but it was the reform law
and law which could be easily evaded
Beyond the requirements Of that law i'm.
portant administrative officers of the party
opposed to the Administration have been
appointed ard retained in positions
commanding large patronage. The
Interference
Of Senators and Representatives with ex,
ecutiye action has been signally rebuked.
SeltConstituted counsellors, assuming to
speak for the party, have been totally disre
garded. Reasons for removals and s, Spen
sons for which party change Of the exec
utiye has been hitherto ample explanation
have been frankly stated to the country.
Useless places have been abolished. Salts,
factory officers of the opposition party are
serving out their terms. The chief criti-
cism Of the administration by the opposi'
ton is the assertion that It's action in ap.
pointments and removals sometimes la
grantly violates sound principles OF reform.
Tie awakened intelligence OF the country
watches and judges every appointment and
removal in the light Of these principles; and
hes, and most promising Of all the spoils
politicians Of the Administration party who
hate 10 see the crushing yoke Of yranni.
cal system lifted from the neck Of the inde.
pendent American who asks 10 enter tie
public serrice upon American principles, By
bis own proved merit and not according to
old aristocratic methods by the favor Of a
political boss, declare their willingness to
vote against any Democratic candidate who
is tainted with thc principle Of reform. In
the presence OF facts Ike these no friend o!
reform need feel discouraged. They are
wholly without precedent since the intro
ducuon OF the spoils system, and they fore
cast unmis;akably he triumph Of reform.
But under lie administration also there
have been
Violations
Of sound principles, serious MISTAKES ari in.
consistcncies. unwise appointments, and
equally unwise removals These, however,
are not necessarily p!ol is OF treachery or Of
hostility. During The late Republican ad-
mini,tration and aI,er tie passage OF H."
Reform bill there we,e constantly acts
which were absolutely inconsistent with its
spirit and principles, But i, would be folly
for that reason TO charge deliberate bad
faith upon thr Republican President or 10
alege that reform was wholly disregarded
under his admiAistra ion. When. there
fore we are considering what has been
gained for reform upon the whole, What pro
gress has been made while as yet neither
patty is truly o reform party, the word
Higgins is by no means . coHCIEs', r".
max,
The Higgin. Appointment,
iniccd. was q signal Illustration o! the
abuse that we woL.d correct 1t was tie
az po.nment Of person pujcly and re-
spousi5ly accused CT disrcputabe political
practices, the explanation OF which, il there
he one, is not known, and an appoiu ment
made mainly ~ he request Of q Senator, q
reu.trst which 70 il Itself a gross offence
~ ! which experience AID reason show TO
be Il ade presumably for a personal and not
.cr public purpose, q practice which pro-
notes the mos, diagram, corruption. This
is ;ho Higgins case, and huow 10 salts.
factory exy anation of il. lis the ordinary
case under ,hc spo;,s system, yc, it is
rC~ made the occasion Of especial and
continuous remark II, however, it
fairly illustrated the general practice Of the
administration it would not be singular
Certainly the severest CeEsors would not as
sert that the Higgins appointment is OF q
kind unparalleled under other adnir!sra
'iCrs; and to allege that the peculiarly Of
fusive under Democratic ascendencv is TO
coacede, what Is, of course, not intended,
that more is to be expected from Demo
crat than from Republican Executive
But the instance OF Higgins and the whole
Higgins school Of appointments aithou-h
absolutely consistent with the reform sys-
tenn, do not prove reCreauCY 10 reform so
much as the infinitely more significant and
i-r- rorlant instances of Pearson. Graves
Bart and Others, prove fidelity to reform.
l'ndoubteG if the Higgins case were a
far illustration Of the course oI the almm-
isiration il would show plainly that it was
simply spois administration from which
reform has nothing 10 hope. But test the
executive byis course
In the City of New YORK
and see if it indicates more or less nra-l
for reform than any administration, Whg,
Democratic, or Republican since the spoi'S
system began. In hat city from the time
of Jackson the chief national Offices have
been heil 10 he peculiarly The spoils O! the
succ,a..ui p..tvin the election. Tie in
cumberts bavr been Generally local po;lu-
clans appointed primarily for party reasons
ard hot because Of any special En0w'.
rEge. training or t.;ness. They have
been tt chosen noI,;cal iieu'oa
arts Of the national administration
charged with the interests Of its party N
the State. The late Republican collector
an es'imable and hcnorab.n gnntiemGn Vas
appointed TO supcs7o3 an upright and e.
ci ut Republican predecessor in he middle
OF bis term in order that the administration
might have an especial political friend il
tie office. His appointment WAS not only
q political act, but il was q decisive incident
in . party controversy which r-nt the parry
a.under and stimulated the assassiH alton 0!
tie President, and in the change of admin
i.,ra,ion which followed and wLick brought
another wing Of the party into power the
collector, in obedience 20 tie same Theory
would undoubtedly have been replaced BY
a.cther gentleman Of the then dominant
virg Of the party except 70. the c!rcrr2-