New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-08-30
THE LATEST EXCUSE.

THE LATEST EACCSh.
Here in New-York City the intolerable stencil
of political corruption shows what partisan ap-
pointments to the Civil Service mean for tax
PAYERS. Yet even here the latest excuse for
partisan appointments by the President hnds
countenance in public journals. His course
cannot be assailed, these journals say, because
with thousands of subordinates who might have
been removed to make room for friends ana
partisans, he has only removed part OF them.
In a few cases he has even reappointed Re
publcan incumbents in many moro, he mas
thus far retained Republican officials there
fore it is certain that he cannot be accused OF
violating his pledges by making removals or
appointments for partisan reasons. Thus onei-
" stated, the excuse appears absurd. let IL
is In substance precisely the plea set up FOR
the President. He might have dcbauched,
dcmoralizcd and degraded the Civil Service
much more than he has therefore he cannot
he held to have debanched. dcmorallzed OF
degraded the service at all.
Let this same plea be applied to other Of
fences. This trusted cashier is clearly inno-
cent nav, he Is worthy of the highest praise :
he might have robbed the bank ten thousand
times. and he robbed it only two or three thou
sand. This member of the Legislature is clear
" worthy Of exalted honor fifty bills were
pending during the session on which he mgh'
have taken brides. but he was bribed only a
dozen times Trusted by the people, because
he had promised to regard public office as
public trust, MIR. Cleveland might have broken
his pledges and disregarded his oath Of Office
a thousand times every day since he became
President, but he has chosen TO do so only one
or two hundred times day. and therefore he
is spotlcss man.
A single removal for partisan reasons, sin
gle appointment for partisan reasons. is
breach of sacred trust and crime against thc
pcople. That is the position which the Pres
ident took in order 10 secure an election. 1t Is
the truth that, II reform of the service Is The
aim. one deliberate debauchment of the sys-
ten affects It's character as much as many. J.
influences as surely through hope or fear. the
conduct of the remaining officials, deprves them
rs completely of the assurance that faithful
service and not political opinion Will keep them
In place, and robs the service OF the hlghes'
incentive to honest and devoted effort AZ
fatally. That is the very essence OF the crime.
Il is reform to make all public servants feel
that their places depend, not upon favor or
partisanshp. but on fidelity. 1t is debauch-
mcnt and debascmont Of the entire service 70
destroy that feeling, and one selection like that
Of Higgins discloses the ruling purpose, and
affects the morale Of the entire service, as much
us an hundred.
But the President has not stopped with one
such appointment he has made hundreds.
He has not been content with few removals
for partisan reasons he has made thousands.
II is the plain truth that he has made so many
| that public attention has wearied of censunnc
| them, and there has come instead a callous
| submission to the unwelcomc fact that official
fidelity and worth do not prevent removals,
that personal and political influence do deter
mine appointments, and that the character Of
| the service, and the motive operating most
| powerfully upon all employees, from lowest 10
highest. has been completely changed. 1t Is
not proof to the contrary that some Rcpub-
| licans have been retained or appointed whose
political influence it was deemed best to cripple,
or whose aid il was deemed best to purchase.
| Many have been retained thus far, because
no competent persons could be found to fiji
their places, so that removals would bring
discredit upon the Administration. Many
others arc retained because their terms have
not yet expired. Many more remain because
working night and day with such haste that
many jailbirds have gone into Office, the Ad
mnistration has not yet found time to remove
them But all this does not in any way affect
The fact that the Presidents solemn pledges
have been broken and the character Of the pub
lie service has been changed.
1t is not the least Of the offences which have
been committed. that the President has refused
to remove many Of the bascr and more I'M
scIrpulous partisans appointed by him. after
their character had been clearly disclosed
Possibly he did not know what sort of a man
Higgins was when he made him appointment
clerk, but he knows now. and Higgins remains
Possibly he did not know that Garland was
capable of taking stock as a gift in return for
his influence and his recommendations. He
knows now and the power Of the Government
is deliberately used TO make Garland and his
associates rich. Apparently the President be-
licves that he can dcbauch the public service
as much as he likes, and with mpunity, if he
only shouts reform" loudly now and then
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CRIME ON THE RAILROAD
There have been so many startling crimes
ta1 tba railroads IT Epula,H ,,,l