The Indianapolis journal., 1885-09-24
MIR. EATON's RESIGNATION.
A Letter Beginning with Sarcastic Allusion
and Ending by Claiming Victory.


of resignation by Mr.. Dorman B. Eaton, chair
man of the Civilservice Commission, and the
Presidents reply thereto, which was received by
Mr.. Eaton this morning. have been furnished
the Associated Press for publication:
''WAsHNGToN, July 20, 1885.
"Sir: In execution of purpose of which
| informed you several weeks since, / very re-
spectfully tender my resignation as civil-service
commissioner; but. out of difference to your
wi She's will not urge its acceptance until such
time in the autumn as you may find convenient
for new appointment
'It may not, l hope, be thought inappropriate
If add few words Of explanation. Prior to
the passage Of the civil-service act of January
16 1883. had held, under three earlier Pres-
dents, and was then holding under President
Arthur an official position closely analogous to
my present Office as civil service commissioner
For nearly the whole period had served with
out compensation, and had been compelled to pay
my own travelling and other expenses, including
| those of journey to Europe and the prepara-
tion 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 connection with the
| preparation and passage of that law. When the
time arrived for executingits provisions it seemed
| to me that / could not fairly be called upon to
make further sacrifice of my private interests
in aid of ciyil-service reform. Besides, the enc
mics of reform were so kind as to charge that
| gaining notoriety. an Office, and salary. But
| President Arthur. without the least intmation
| to me OF his purpose, nominated me, and was
confirmed as commissioner. When l was
about to decline, the friends OF the reform with
| whom had labored for many years in its behalf,
insisted was in duty bound to accept; and those
enemies, with amiabe consistency, made clear
| their purpose OF charging any refusal on my
part as cowardly shrinking from the speedy
and disgraceful failure sure TO follow any at
| tempt to execute SO chimerical and impracti-
cable "a statute. In such stu
| alton. I had hardly liberty of choice
| but 1 entered upon my official duties with the
| declared purpose of remaining hardly more than
| year. within which. at least. the constructive
work of making rules and regulations, and of en-
| forcing 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 application of the new system
| It's great utility and easy processes had gained
| the commendation of the President united more
largely the party in power in it's support, and Sc
| cured from a committee of thirteen members of
| the Democratic House of Representatives a
| unanimous report, declaring the great usefulness
| of the law and rules, and commencing what is
described as the intelligent, efficient, nonpar-
tisan and conscientious work of the Civil-servcs
Commission could then see no obligation to
| remain longer. That had been done
| which the enemies of reform had declared to be
| impossible. The law and the rules were vindi-
| Gated. But there were impracticable' methods
which were not fully matured, and I remained
to take part in their development. When, a few
months later. I was about to insist on being
| relieved, those friends dissuaded me by urging
that there would be a critical period in case new
| party should come into power. and l saw plainly,
| from hostile journals, that should be charged
| if resigned, with fleeing from the perils of that
| crisis. 1t was clear enough that no excuse from
my long service and no declaration of nv con-
| fdence in the reform policy of the presidential
candidate and statesmen of the Democratic
rfV UNf1Id %IA -
pausibility of such charge. AS a
private citizen 1 could scorn the
| imputation, bnt as public officer and as being
| in private way somewhat identified with the
| cause of ciyil-serviee reform, had no right to
| make an opportunity for its ma tural enemies in
either party to use such a charge to its injury.
| There was another reason why could not
tender my resignation-and should have refused
| to do so had it been requesteG-at or near the
time of your accession to Office, for l should re-
| gard it as perpcious preoedent-utterly repug-
nant to the spirit of the civilservice act-to treat
the Office of Civil service Commissioner as polit-
ical, and hence as one to be filled at the begin
ming of each presidential term These consider
| ations constrained me to continue in my place
until the reform policy of your admins
| tration. SO clearly defined in your declsr-
alton, should be unmistakably de-
| veloped in your acts as President AS it
had been i'll your acts Governor of New
| York. That time has arrived. No candid man
could longer pretend to regard that policy as in
definite or doubtful Every one Of the five
months of your administration, during which
| the civil-service act and rules have been en-
| forced with as much breadth, frmness and fidel-
| ity as under that of President Arthur has not
| only added new evidence of the utility of the
new system, upon which l congratulated the
| country, but had made more definite the settled
purpose Of your administration to faithfully en-
| force both the law and the rules in the future
| The few changes you have made in the rules
have but added to their justice and efficiency.
So far as I have been able to learn. there is not
| a member of your Cabinet who has not. as
| the result cf his experience in Office.
| a higher sense than before of the
| need of enforcing that merit system
in the public service which the civilservice act
| and the rules have established; and from those
at the head of the many Offices in the postal and
customs service to which the examinations
! tend in all parts Of the Union, whether they be
Republicans holding new officers from
the other party, there has come no reason for
believing that the merit system is not welcomed
great benefit to the public service a great
influence for honesty in politics, and a great
relief to the head of the Office. Now that the
principles of justice upon which that system is
based, and its support of high character and
manhood in politics, are being more rapidly com
pretended by the people than ever before, feel
sure that it is in the near future to have not only
a greatly enlarged, but an almost unchallenged
enforcement
lit is really an issue between the people and
the polticans-a contest for spoils system Of
office on one side, and for a merit system of
Office on the other. The friends of the latter
contend for the free opportunity of every citizen
| to win an Office for himself by his own merits
of the former, for the exclusive right of great
officers and great politicians to use all of the
hundred thousand places they can control and
all the assessments they can extort, to bribe
voters to buy the press to elect themselves
and to keep their party in power against the will
of the people. Between these extremes there is
| unquestionably, large number of candid and
patriotic citizens. do not refer to these facts.
so decisive of the perpetuation of the merit
system. with the vain conceit that, IL they
were otherwise. or the prospect was 6iscourag
| ing, my remaining commissioners would avail
anything But wish to leave no doubt of my
absolute faith in the continuing triumphs of a
reform policy and no friend of reform the least
reason for thinking ought to remain in my Of
D LII xhaA- o.