The Washington critic., 1886-12-07
WASHINGTON, DECEMBER 2, 1886.
THE PRESIDENT AND CIvIL-sERy.
ICE REFORM.

1t were scarcely possible Tor inc
President to have said anything more
in praise of the Civil.Scrvico Reform
law than he does say in his annual
Message just communicated to Con-
gress. 1t Is equivalent to the strongest
of his utterances upon the same subject
prior to his election. lie Is evidently
determined that there shall he no doubt
as to the stubborn iixily Of his posi-.
tion, either among those who have sus.
pected him OF an inclination to abandon
his original principles or those who
have charged him with an excess of
zeal in their maintenance.
Between these extremes, of which
there were recently furnished apt illus
trations in the cases of the two District
Attorneys. one Of whom being sus.
pended, to the great disgust of the
Democrats, was arterwnrd reinstatel to
their infinite satisfaction, and the other
of whom, being suspended, to the great
disgust of the Republicans, has just
been superseded to their still greater
annoyance, Mr.. Cleveland has steere
with considerable adroinGss, although
as acts speak louder than words, 1t
may be difficult to reconcile the re3o-
nant laudalion of reform in the Message
with all of his interpretations of 1t in
practice.
Theoretically, the President Is right
1t is true, as he suggests, that 1t would
be dangerous to Danish the "underly-
ing principle" of the law. No one
will dispute the glittering generality
that without q correction of abuses the
civil service would ultimately 60 to the
dogs. Neither will any one dispute
the proposition that the law, as 1t
stands, may be Imperfect in some of
its Details" that at may not always
be faithfully applied" that ''its de-
signs may sometimes miscarry," and
that 1t may even "tremble under the
assaults of its enemies or lang uish
under the misguided zeal Of its i'm.
practicable friends"
Not so self.evident to the opponents
of the law will be the statement that
''its continued operation has added the
most convincing proofs of its necessity
and usefulness" but in view of the
fact that the President is apparently
determined to administer the statute
as far as possible In the interest of his
Democratic friends, they cannot help
becoming more and more lenient in
their criticisms.
THE Critic, as is well kno vn, has no
admiration for the existing system. 1t
believes that no administration can be
harmonious whole which is not har-
monious in all its parts; but rather than
quarrel, we are willing to concede
whatever virtues may be claimed for
the law in its application to the classi-
were THE CRITIC President it would
exercise its discretion in favor of its
own party, having full faith that a
party in power has the material at its
command to institute all necessary re-
forms, without borrowing of the oppo-
sition. And to this 1t must come.
In climbing the toilsome and difficult
activities of his ideal reform the
President has already reached land
ing place. The Benton-Stone episode
affords him breathing space and op-
portunity for fresh departure.
The Democrats are now better than
ever assured that so far as the civil
service Is to be hereafter reformed,
they are to be the reformers.
The Republicans have some time
since arrived at the conclusion that in
order to do much reforming them
selves, they will have to elect an adj
ministration of their own.
The Mugwumps, while Informed In
most explicit language that the Presl
deLt is still unalterably committed tc
reform. must content themselves with
the knowledge that henceforth, al
other things being equal, Democrats are
TO be preferred for office, under civil
service reform administration.
Let bygones be bygones. The new
era is to be an era of civil service re
form, under purely Democratic man
agement. At least, that is as near a
we can get at it, after careful and un
prejudiced comparison of the Presi
dents acts with the President
declarations.