The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-06
OUR IDEA OF CIVIL SER VICE.

allowing Republican COMMITS
siou appointed by a Republican
President to designate the fellows
to be appointed, then We confess
oJr supreme ignorance of the mean
ing of the phrase.
We heard many speeches during
the last campaign and read many
made by our leaders, and had no
more political wisdom than to be-
lieve our speakers and writer's really
meant what they said and wrote.
We were so simple minded and un-
sophisticated as to believe that our
party meant business when they
appealed to the people to elect
Cleveland and ''turn the rascalS
out" And we still believe that the
idea and desire on the part of
the people to turn the ''raScalS OUT
and put honest and able Dem
ocrats in had a great deal more to
do in defeating the Republican par
ty than did Mr.. Cleveland. We
were taught and led to believe
that Civil Service Reform meant
the publication and eXaltation OF
the public service, by turning the
Republican party out and putting
the Democratic party in. We
thought it meant putting the enc
mics Of reform out and the friends
in, and we believe the people
thought so. We thought then and
we think now, it meant the Topping
off OF sinecure places, curtailing
expenses, driving out corruption
and turning out Republicans and
putting in sound, pure, honest, able
Democrats. We had no idea from
the reputation of Mr.. Cleveland,
that he would regard an unconsti-
tutiOnal statute inactced by the Re
publican party, to keep their folks
III office IN ease Of Democratic sue
cess, but thought he would test its
constitutionality by violating its
provisions, the only possible mode
we believe by which it can be tested.
We never dreamed that Mr..
Cleveland would surrender his con
stltutionai prerogatiye and that of
his cto;l It OF appointing the Off
Gals ol Jke departments to an I'M
constitutional commission, compoS-
ed OF four offensive Republicans
partisanS and one weak-nlindeil
weakened, unsound Democrat.
The constitution gives the Presi
ident the appointing power. Con
gress has attempted to delegate it to
an irresponsible Republican com
mission, and Mr.. Ransom and other
Senators. If the interviews are
correctly attempt to excuse. OF
rather to justify the President by
saying he took an oath to support
the laws and must do so or com
NIT perjury. Now this is too Thin
to cram down our throat, if il
: does come from Senators. We
would courteOusly, and not in ''ot-
fensive partisan" style, suggest tC
the Senator's who justify the Presi-
dent III keeping Republicans III
office and Democrats out OF office.
that Mr.. Cleveland took no such
oath. II he did, he is not bound by
1t, for 1t was not a constitutional
oath.
He did take an oath to support
demonstration Ofthe United States
and the laws not in conflict there
with, and that constitution gives
him power to appoint and to Re
move at will. And vet he refuses
to obey that constitution and keep
that oath sacred. which the Sena-
tors and his friends say he must
hold nviolate: that is, if he de
clines to remove Republicans and
appoint Democrats because of this
statute creating the Civil Service
Commission; but if he declines tC
remove because of his constitutional
prerOgative to retain Republicans in
office if he thinks proper to do so,
then the fact that he took an Oat b
has nothing to do with the course
he and his cabinet are pursuing.
But we admit our want of expert
ence on this subject. and will put
on the stand to speak to the people
one whose knowledge and expert
ence are entitled to some cOnsidera-
ton with the powers that be if ours
are not. Mr.. Madison, in Congress,
in reply to the Hamiltonian idea.
that the president could not remove
at will from Office under the consti-
tuition, said such a construction of
the constitution '.wOuld in effect es-
tablish every officer of the Gov