The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-01-09
Cleveland OH Civil Service Reform.


\ letter having been addressed 10
President-elect Cleveland by George
William Curtis. President William
Potts, Secretary, and John Jay AID 9th.
eTs, Executive Committee, of the Ma
tional Civil Service Reform Ieauge
cOmmending the cause of reform in the
civil service to his patriotic care in the
exercise Of hls great Office, Gov. Cleve-
land sent the following reply:
Hon Geo. Willia1n Curtis, President &c
DEAR SIR Your communication. dated
December 20, addressed to me or behalf Of
the National Civil SoIvic Reform Leauge
has been received. That practical reform
in the civil service is demanded is abundant
ly established by the fact that the statute
referred to I'D your communication to secure
such a result has been passed iu Congress
with the assent of both political parties !;
and by the further fact that the sentiment
is generally prevalent among patriotic peO-
pie calling for q fair and honest enfOrceme Mt
OF the law which has been thus enacted.
| regard myself pledged TO this because
my conception of the true Democratic faith
and public duty requires that this, and all
other statutes, should be in good faith and
without evasion enforced, and because in
many utterances made prior to my election
as President, approved BY the party to
which | belong, and which have no GisDOsi-
tUu to diSciaim, l have IN effect promised
the people that this should be done.
am not unnjndful Of the fact to which
you Ieter-that mary of our citizens fear
that the recent party change In the Nation
al Executive may demonstrate that the abu-
ses which have grown up in our civil service
are ineTadicabe. | know the spUiis system
has been supposed TO be intimately related
to success IN the maintenance oi party or
ganizatiUn, and am not sure that all those
WHO profess to Ue friendly to this reform will
stand firmly among its advocates when they
find it UN struCtiug their way 90 IatTonag% and
place But IullY approaching the trust coin
mItted TO my charge, 10 such consideration
shall cause a relaxation on my part OF an
earnest effort 10 enforce this law,
There is a class of Government positions
that are not within the letter Of tha civil
service statute, but which are so djsCOuuuc-
ted with the policy of an adminIstra tion
that the removal theTrfTom of the present
lucuLIHeuFS, in my opinion, should not be
made during the terms tor which they were
appointed solely on political grounds, and
for the purpose Of putting in their places
those who are Ia political accord with The
appointing power Bat many now huIdiug
such positions have forfeited all lust claim
to retention, because they have used their
places Tor party purposes In disregard Of
their duty to the people, aUd because in.
stead Of being decent public servants thew
have proY"d themselves offensive parbisans.
subscriptions manipulat0TS of party man
aggWpnt. The less, ms OF the paSt ShOu,d he
uulearnd, aud such Officials. a. We'll as their
successors, should be taught that efficiency.
hturSs and devotion to public duty are the
condition Of their continuance in public
place, and that quiet aud unobtrusive ex.
ercise of individual political rights is the
reasonable measure of their party service.
1t we're addressing none but party
friends ] should deem it entirely proper to
remind them that although the coming ad-
mIuistTatiOn is to br Democratic a due re-
gard for the peoples interest does not per
init faithful party work to be be a yays re-
warded by appointment to Office. and 10 saw
10 them that while Democrats NAV expect
all proper consideration. the selections for
office not embraced within the civil ser
wee rules VIII be based upon sufficient in
quiry as to fitness instituted by those char
seq with that duty, rather than upon per
sistent ImpoTtuBity or self-Solicitad recon-
mendattOnS Ola behalf Of candidates for an
poinJment Yours very truly,
GROVER CLEVELAND