The Wilmingtonian., 1886-03-27
SATURDAY MARCH ~, 1856.
President Cleveland ImpaIed upon his
own Statements.
The Phila Press
The Phila. Press.

Stripped of all technicalities, the question
between Grover Cleveland and the American
people concerning the public service stands
thus
I. Mr.. Cleveland delared that no officer
who held for fixed term and whose office
was disconnected with the policy of the Gov.
ernment should be removed before the ex-
piratiou of his term except for public cause
Or for Offensive partisanship, meaning
flagrant misuse of the office. This declaration
was made in his letter of December 2jth,
1884, to the National Civil Service Reform
Association, and repeated in other public
deliveraDces.
ii. Having thus announced that no officer
shonld be removed except for cause, involving
official delinquency, or for fragrant misuse OF
the effice, Mr. Cleveland's Administration
gave out notice to the hungry and thirsty
that, if they wanted the spoils, they must
hunt up what would serve as cause for re-
moval. This notice was specifically given in
in the famous circular of Postmaster Gen
eral Villas, dated April Goth, 1915, and de-
fining the plan of the Administration. 1t
practically told the spoils-hunters to scrape
the cutters and spread a general drag-net for
charges against the incumbeuts of the public
offices. 1t was equivalent to public pro.
posal for all sorts of accusations.
Ill. With this declaration that there
should be no removal except for cause upon
charges, and with this invitation for all the
charges that could be scraped together OIL
manufactured, the Administration proceeds
to make large number of removals and ther
refuses to state the cause or to name the
charges 1t puts every man who is removed
under the imputation Of being removed upoi
grounds of official delinquency OF persona
offense, and then denies him the opportunit,
of facing his accusers or knowing the accu
sations. 1t opens the sluice-gates of secre
charges, and closes every avenue of answer
w. This policy is repuguant to every sen
timent of manliness and every instinct Of fai
play. 1t is no stigma upon any man to b
removed by an Administration of opposit
politics because he is a Republican or be
cause he is Democrat. If Mr.. Cleveland ha,
said that he would exercise the right to re
move political opponents upon that ground
the removal would involve no reflection Blu
when he declared that he would make no re
movals except for cause, and when he pro
fesses to act upon the strict principles o
civil service reform, the removal is made tt
ir"PUJ sVuV uiV"5 Irs.e UIuuv
removed. And when this is followed by
refusal to let him or the people know wha
the alleged wrong is or who alleges it, it i
unmanly, unfair and un-American-it i
cowardly and indecent.
v The only explanation of refusal t
state the "cause" is that there is no goo
cause to state. If the papers would bear ez
animation, if the "cause" were valid, ther
would be no hesitation in furnishing tn
former and in making known the latter. !
is because they will not bear the light tina
the Administration keeps them in the darb
In other words, the practice OF the Admins
tration does not harmonic with its profes
sions. That is the question between Grove
Cleveland and the American people, and tina
is what the Senate is engaged in MAXIM
plain.