Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-20
The President Makes More Enemies.

The President Makes More
The offices are causing the president
more annoyance and trouble than an ON
er matters with which he has anything 10
do in his official capacity. He hnds IL I'M
possible to enforce the civil service law,
in letter and spirit, in accordance with
his own and his party's pledges and at the
same time give satisfaction to those OF the
party leaders who want places for their
friends. and he cannot divide the offices so
as to give satisfaction to those to whom
he has a right to look for support.
If that staunch Democratic paper, the
/ Cou7ey-Ioitrp0l Is to be believed, the
Democrats OF Louisville have not much
further use for the President because be
has reappointed Mrs. Thompson chief OF
the post Office in that city. The
Courier-Journ0 says that this appoint
ment is a most extraordinary and indie
feasible one, and that it will demoralize
the Democratic party of the metropolis
OF Kentucky, just as Mrs. Thompson ha s
demoralized the mall service under her
management.
But what was the President to do? He
was placed in a most embarrassing po-
sition. The Democrats of Louisville sent
MIR. Albert Willis to the present Congress.
and to several previous Congresses. Mr..
Willis insisted that Mrs. Thompson
should be reappointed. He went so far
in the matter as 10 insist that if he were
not permitted to name the Postmaster for
Louisville, his home, 1t would be a clear
case OF discrimination against him be-
aus Congressman have that privilege
whenever an appointment is to be made.
The President asked to be permitted to
take the responsibility of making an APP
pOintment to suit himself in this instance.
He did not want to reappoint Mrs.
Thompson because it was alleged that she
had assisted the Republican cause in the
last campaign, and, also, because of the
strong protests of leading Louisville
Democrats against her.
Mr.. Willis, however, most emphatically
demanded Mrs. Thompson's r%eappoint-
ment, and told the President that he
would take all the responsibility. Strange
as it may seem, Senator Beck backed up
the demand of Mr.. Willis.
Now, what reasonable ground is there
for the Courier-JournGl and the Kentucky
Democrats to complain of the Presidents
action in this matter of the Louisville
post office? Ear it be said that he ought
to have broken through the rule which
permits a Congressman to name the Post
master OF his own town? If be had done
that he would nave made enemies OF an
influential Representative and a powerful
Senator, and. perhaps, would have of
Tended about as many Democrats as he
has by reappointing Mrs. Thompson.
He had a right to assume that Mr..
Willis and Mr.. Beck represented the
Democrats of Louisville, and that their
wishes were the wishes of the great ma
jority of their constituents The Courier
Journal, however, declares that the APP
pointment will demoralize the party.
After all, are we not forced to the con-
clusion that the offices are wanted for
friends and henchmen and not for the
good of the party? Is there not som
truth in the suggestion tina those who
nave made the most noise over the fail
ure of the President to turn Republi-
cans out of office fast enough, do
the party as they do to get some favored
friend or dependent into an office? Those
who have criticised the President the
most severely are those who have failed
TO have their requests for office for them.
selves or their friends granted. How lone
has 1t been since Mr.. Beck was condemn
ing the President for not making a clean
sweep of ''the rascals," and yet we find
him giving his friend, Mr.. Willis, all the
aid he can in getting a Republican reap.
pointed, and that, too, according to the
CONrier-JOurnGl, against the protest of the
Democrats of Louisville.
This is a very pretty state of affairs
and it is not to be wondered at that the
Courier-Joarndl verges on incoherency
over it. OF course if Mrs. Thompson is
the good Republican she is reported to b,
she ought to have been permitted to re
main out when she got out by the expira
ton of her term. There is nothing in tn
civil service law, nor in the President
civil service policy that required her re
appointment. The President was no
guided by any consideration of civil ser
vice when he reappointed her.
If Mr.. Willis can induce the Presiden
to act from personal considerations rela
tive 10 the Louisville offices why canno
Mr.. Norwood get him TO act from til
same considerations with regard to tn
savannah offices. Mr.. Willis isn't a big
ger man than Mr.. Norwood.
The Tie-up in New York.