The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-06-15
COOP C.oUND FOR SADNESS

Mr. Edgerton, the civil service commission
I er. has gone to his home in Indiana. Congress
men from that State say that he is disguised
at the attitude of the Democratic party tow
ards civil service reform, and will soon re-
sign. The Randall faction especially have
aroused his ire by their treatment of the COM
mission. Not only has Mr.. Randall refused
to allow on the appropriation bill the rental
for the Offices which Mr.. Lamar engaged for
the commission; but has also put himself
sQuarely in support of changes in the civil
service rules which would, when once made,
leave Mr.. Edgerton and his associates mere
iigureheads, so far as any voice in the selec-
ton of candidates for office would be con-
cerned. But whether the Indiana Congress
men say so or not, there are other things be-
sides the acts of Mr.. Randall and his legion
of avowed or secret followers of the Demo-
cratic party that cannot help making Mr..
Edgerton sad if he has the good of the civil
service at heart. Commissioner Blacks
phenomenal success in getting seventy-two
Democrats in list of seyenty-seyen new
pension examiners was an exploit that could
not have delighted a friend of civil service
reform but theway that example is followed
out by smaller Democratic potentates in diff
ferent parts of the country must have given
Mr.. Edgerton as sharp pang as anything
ever done by Mr. Randall and his eoyetous
followers. The exploits of Aquila Jones in
turning Union soldiers out of the postoffice
in the capital of Mr.. Edgerton's own State
and replacing them by veterans of Indianap-
| oils ward elections have been followed by a
different but no less effective reform in Bal
| tmore. Postmaster Veazie of that city has
! discovered process whereby he may rigidly
| observe the civil service rules and still re-
| place all the Republican employees by Demo-
Gratis The workings of this plan have been
| watched by postmasters in other cities, and
| in the near future they also hope to have
| their civil service examinations turning out
| Democrats only. Then, too, Mr.. Edgerton
| may have been disheartened by some advice
| from Senator Kenna, the chairman of the
| Democratic Congressional committee, the
| committee selected to do service in the cam
| paigns. Senator Kennas observations of the
workings of the civil service laws in keeping
the offices out of the hands of Democratic pol
| iticians, have led him to make this remark
| $50 far as the personnel of the government is
| concerned, before the last year of this presi-
| Dental term is reached, it is probable that
| there will be little left for the most unre-
deemed spokesman to covet. While consider
ing the unexceptional character of all the APP
pointments made, the number of them is
| quite respectable, If not astonishing" There
is no doubt that the number is likely to be
astonishing. Mr.. Edgerton's old age will be
passed just as pleasantly if he takes himself
out of reach of the kicks of the quite re-
Specialize if not astonishing array of spoils-
men, whom Mr.. Kenna sees moving into the
Offices. Mr. Randall knew what he was about
when he put himself squarely against the
| civil service laws. He and not Mr. Edgerton
is in harmony with his party.