The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-06-12
EATON TO RANDALL.

The Ex-Ciy,l-Service Commissioner Takes
the Open-Letter Plan of Giving Repre-
sentative Randall His Views on Recent
Action of the House Appropriations Conn
mittee-MOre Anon.
NEW YORK, June 6.-The Times prints
an open letter from Hon. Dorman
B. Eaton to Hon. Samuel j. Randall.
The letter is headed "No. l." which
makes it appear that Mr.. Eaton intends
to write series of letters;
BRATTLEBoRoUGH, Vt, May 81
DEAR SIR: You will find before you have
finished this letter abundant reasons why
1t has been written, why 1t is publicly ad-
dressed to you and why there is no need OF
making the least apology for it. You are
the chairman OF the House committee on APP
preparations and are justly held mainly re-
sponslble for the action of the politicab
majority of its members, of whom you are
one, in affronting the President, and in doing
your utmost to defeat the execution OF his
Civil Service rules and reform policy by an
unprecedented act of assumption and usur.
patton, having for Its manifest object the
increase OF Congressional patronage, In
which believe you have unbounded faith,.
and Of which you will certainly receive your
full share. In making these comments, and
the more definite suggestions which are to
follow, II have thought it but fair to give you
the name of q responsible author.
The act to which refer Is the appropria.
ton and the insertion in report from that
committee just completed of q proviso re-
lating to the salaries of the Civil Service
commissioners and of their SD bordinates,.
which prOviso Is in these words: "This ap.
preparation shall be available only when the
rules of the Civl-Service commission are SO
framed that the names of all applicants for
appointment from any State found duly
qualified on examination and without re-
gard to age, shall be sent to the head OF de.
partment or other officer charged with max.
Ing appointments"
That this extraordinary and audacious re.
striction was prompte by the spirit of the
old spoils system; that 1t isintended to In
crease Congressional patronage, and that IL
is utterly repugnant to the rules and policy
which the President and his administration
as the official representatives of your party
are doing their best TO enforce is too plain
for comment Nevertheless the friends of
reform may congratulate themselves that it's
enemy has ventured an attack on only two
rules out of twenty-four, that relating to-
age, and that relating to the number to be
sent up for appointment or certified to by
the commission.
1t is no part OF my purpose as a Republican
TO enter into these obvious antagonisms in
your party over a great issue before the
country. You can, II You choose, take the
side of the spoilsmen against the President
and against any other of the committees OF
the House. You will not deny that 1t is the
secret as 1t is the oslensible purpose of this
proviso to coerce the President into changing
his rules in the two particulars referred to.
In the exercise of your usurped functions
you plainly declare that the several commits
sioners and all of their subordinates shall
work for the Government awhole year with
out compensation or not work at ALL, Ii the
rules are not changed according to your de-
mand. You and your associates of the ma
ioritY on the committee know or ought to
have known, that under existing laws the
commissioners and their subordinates alike
are utterly without authority for changing
the rules OF the service. The Civil Service
law does not even allow the commission to-
so much as propose a change of the rules
except rs the President shall request.
Why did you not in an open and manly
way propose that the Presidents salary and
the salaries of the members of his Cabinet
should not he paid until he amended the
rules and did various other things to suit
| your spells system policy? You would thus
| have exhibited the courage OF your theory
| without presenting yourself before the
| country as willing to wound, yet afraid to
| strike your President. You are an eX-
| Speaker OF the House, | believe, and some
what of its honor aId dignity BELTS your
! conduct. Do you think 1t quite the thing
| for you to try to brighten the whelps without
| daring to look the old lion in the face or
even menti on his name in your pro-
! viso? When in that proviso you des-
| ignated his rules RS the rules of the Civil
| Service commission, / hope you had self
| respect and respect enough for truth and
| manness left to be secretly ashamed OF
such piece of demagogism and deception.
! Still, you and your fellows of the majority
| are entitled to whatever credit is due to the
| inventors Of a new, If pernicous, way of CO.
| ercing another branch Of the government
| and augmenting the influence OF the House.
1t may go lar toward removing the dscredit
| of this session ana prevent inquiry into the
| reasons why the appropriation bills have
been so long held back Under your
precedent the House may con-
dition the salaries OF Senators on
their voting for House bill and the salaries
of judges upon their amending the rules OF
the court as the House may resolve. The
Senate need not submit to its defeat In its
attempt to wrest the power of removal from
the President. but may on your theory con-
dition the payment of his salary upon hiG
sending all his private correspondence to the
several committees OF that body. Even the
committee on appropriations may become q
great power by reporting against the salar
rles OF all officers who do mot yield to its de-
mands.
Nevertheless, It may be we'll, not to count
on too great q success for this scheme OF
usurpation and effrontery until we sec
whetheT:the President, II this provlso SHAH
independence and authority by veto or 9th.
erwise against the spoilsmen OF his own par
ty as boldly and successfully as he main
tanned his constitutional prerogative
against the attack OF a committee OF the
Senate.
next will explain what would be the prao.
tical results OF enforcing the changes which
you propose in the rules. In various par,
ticulars these would by no means realize
your anticipations."
. The letter occupies over a column, but
, the above are the principal points. =