Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1885-10-01
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM

Commissioner Eaton's Letter to the Presi-
dent rendering His Resignation Of the
Oflce-The Presidents Reply Thereto
MIR. Eaton VIII be Relieved November LIST.
WASHINGTON, d. c., September "a
The following correspondence, embrace
Ing Dorniln B. Eaton's resignation as d
member Of the Civil Service Commission,
And the Presidents acceptance Of it, was
made public last night:
WASHINGTON, d. c., July 27th, 1855.
SIR-In execution Of a purpose of which I
Informed you several weeks since, l very
respectfully tender my resignation rs Civil
Service Commissioner: but out OF Difference
to your wishes will not urge Its acceptance
until such time in the autumn as you may
md convenient for new appointment II
may, not, hope, be Thought misappropriate
services Uf 20 ' aet passage January sS c ieth,
1ss3, had held Under three 6arfief Presi.
dents, and was then holding under President
Arthur, an official position closely analo-
Eous to my present Office as Civil Service
Commissioner. For nearly the whole period
l had served without compensation, and
bad been compelled to bear my. own travel.
Ing and Other expeiises, Including those Of
an extensive report made at the request of
one OF those Presidents, but printed by Con.
gress. had taken an active part,
by which my time was largely taxed, in con.
nectlon with the preparation and passage of
that law, and when the time arrived for
executing itslprovislons it seemed to me that
] co1ld not fairly be called upon to make
further sacrifice Of my private interests In
aid OF civil service reform. Besides, the
enemies Of reform Were so kind as to chdrg6
that had promoted the act for the treble
purpose OF gaining riotoriety, On office and
salary. But President Arthur, without tho
least ihtlmation to mo of his purpose, nom.
mated me, and was confirmed ds Commits;
sionor. When l was about TO decline, the
friends OF reform, with whom : had
nssa fof that was il d IT. p Sond
to accept; and these enemies with amable
consistency. made clear their purpose Of
charging any refusal on my part, as a. coE-
ardly shrinking from the speedy and dis;
to execute so chlmerlcal and Impractical d
statue. In such situation ] hid hardly
a liberty of CHOICE but | entered upon my
official duties with the declared purpose of
which Mt least the constructive work
of making rules and regulations and, OF
enforcing new system at Its most
difficult stage could be accomplished. At the
end OF that time had become more deeply
than ever interested In the practical applica-
ton OF the new system. Its great utility and
easy processes had gained the cOmmenda-
ton OF the President, united more largely
the party In power In its support, and Sc
cured from committee of thirteen mem
bers of the Democratic House of Repre-.
sentatives unanimous report declaring the
great usefulness of the law and rules, and
| commenting what 1t described AS the "in-
| telligent, efficient, non partisan and consql.
entlous work OF the Civil Service Commits.
| sion
could then see no obligation to, temaiti
/ ,.k Il lnA, a -, 4, tnA In A.,ks
| mics of reform had declared to be itnpossl
| bic. The law and the rifles were indicated
But there were important practical methods
| which were not fiilly matured, and I re-
| NAMED to take part In their further devel-
opment, When, a few months later, was
about to insist ON being relieved, those
friends dssuaded me by urging that there
would be n critical period in case q new
par should come INTO power ana t snW
| / Should be charged II re.
signed, with fleeing from the, perlls
of that crisis 1t was clear enough that no
ration of my confidence IN the reform policy
OF the Presidential candidate and statesmen
| OF the Democratic party, would relieve me
| from the damaging plausibility OF such a
the iihputatlon, but as d public officer, apd
as being in private way somewhat identl.
| ned with the cause of civil service reform, l
| had no right to make an opportunity for its
natural enemies IN either party to use such
| 4 charge to Its Injury.
Tnefe was another reason why 6ould not
| tender my resignaton-and should have
rcfused'to do so had II been requested-at
or near the time of your accession to office.
For should regard 1t rs a pernlcious pre-
cedent-utterly repugpant to the spirit oil
the civil service dct-to treat the office OF
Civil Service Commissioner as political, lind
hence us one to be liled at the beginning OF
each Presidential term These censldera-
lions constrained me to continue in my place
The reform policy OF your administration
so clearly defined In your declarations
should be as Enthusiastically developed II
your acts rs President as 1t had been In your
acts as Governor Of New York.
That time has arrived. Nd candid mar
can longer pretend to regard that policy as
indefinite or doubtful. Every one of the five
months of your administration, during
which the civil service act and rules have
been enforced with as much breadth, firm
ness and fidelity as under that Of President
Arthur, has not only added new evidence o
the utility of the new system upon which nc
congratulated the country, but has made
more definite the settled purpose OF your
administration to faithfully enforce both the
law aud the rules In the future. The few
changes you have made In the rules hav'
but added to their Justice and efficiency.
| So far as have been able to learn there Il
not member of your Cabinet who has not
MS the result Of his experience In office, {
higher sense than before OF the need OF EN-
|
vice, which the civil service act and the rule
have established, and from those at the heat
Of the many offices In the postal and custom
service, to which the examination extends II
| MI parts of the Union, and whether they b.
Republicans holding over, or new officer
from the other party, there has come no rea
son for believing thntthe merit system Is no
welcomed rs a great benefit to the publ
| politics, and a great relief to the hea'
| of the office. Now that the principles o
Justice upon which that system Is based, It:
tendency to suppress patronage-mongerln
and official patronage; its great encourage
ment of the public schools and its supper
| of high character and manhood in polite
are being more rapidly comprehended b.
the people than ever before, feel sure tina
It Is in the near future to have not only
greatly ENLARGED. but an almost unchal
lenged enforcement. 1t Is really an issue be
tween the people and the politicians-a con
test for q spo Is system of office on one side
and for merit system OF office on tb
| other.
The friends OF the latter contend for tn
free opportunity OF every citizen to win a
office for himself by his own merits; of th
former for the exclusive right of great of
GERS and great politicians to use all of til
hundred thousand places they can contrC
and all the assessments they can extort {
bride voters, to buy the press, to elect them
selves and keep their party in power agains
the will of the people Between these ea
| trenleS tnere Us uiiQucstlOndDly large nun
Der of candid and patriotic citizens. don
refer to these facts, so decisive Of the pei
petuity of the merit system, with the val
conceit that II they were otherwise or til
prospect was dlscouraging, my remaining
commissioner would avail anything. But
!, wish to leave no doubt of my absolute fat
In the continuing triumph OF reform pc
icy, and no friend of reform has the lea
reason for thinking ought to remain in m
| Office.
indeed, the triumph Of that policy is no
q psolute, and the contest already over
that part of the Government to which alor
all legimate authority and responsibility fc
appointments and removals rest and
| which alone the thorough Information neeC
ed for a correct judgment as to the utility
the new system exists. in other word
were it not for the interference OF Congress
men and politicians with the constitution
functions and intended liberty of the Pres
dent, and OF other officers having the al
pointing power, there would now be no Of
pos ton worthy oil notice to merit syste
of office. Those who oppose 1t viii, with fe
, exceptions be those only whose participa
ton in appointments and removals Is :