New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-07-25

THE PRESIDENTS MODE OF REFORM
A reform Administration will regret to hear
that its reform postmaster III hanSsis Town n''s
been convicted of several fOrgeries, ana tle ui'
disclosed that he was somewhat extensively
engaged in robbng and swindling, and was pre-
sumably a participant in the CRIME Oh alsoi'
which was committed in order to mde lhe
evidence of forgery. Undoubtedly the PreSl-
dent will keenly regret his selection OF a person
whose conduct thus brings reproach on the Ad-
n,;uistration. For no partisan is so bind as 10
doubt that the President would greatly prefer
il he could. to avoid the appointment OF men
whose shameless dishonesty may disgrace the
amounting power No doubt he and his friends
will law the blame upon Democratic politicians
of Kansas. whose recommendation was accepted
az nroof that the candidate WAS worthy But
tbe responsibility really lies nearer the White
House.
How can the President be blamed for the
selection of many bad men, it will be asked
when there is no doubt that he wanted TO ma
GOOD men and WAS honestly misled by the repre-
.cntations of unworthy political associates
The onestion deserves a serious answer, ana
those whose attachment for reform is not mere
sham will ask Themselves, before Acquiring tlle
President of all blame, whether he has really
done all that he could to secure faithful ana
honest officials. 1t is undoubtedly tue that ne
wanted to secure such officials, but ne also
waEted to please his party friends. what was
his duty He found in office certain Republican
officials. who had been hied for years III the
nublic service The records gave leison to De-
Ieve that some were not faithful, 1t may be
said. In such cases, no one questions that II
was his duty to choose new men, Dut ne VIII
admit that such cases were very few III number
In few other cases, the test OF experience
had given some reason to dstlnst uie
officials fidelity or his honesty. In such cases
Also il may be admitted that the President
| sLould have chosen other men. But he VIII
unhesitatingly admit that In the gielt
| majority of instances the test OF experience
| had given him the best reason to believe that
the officers whom he found in place were both
honest and faithful, and by years OF training
were better qualified than any new men were
| likely to be. Why were these men ousted
The President knew that it would be i'm
| possible to avoid many mistakes in selection, II
q great number of officials were to be speedily
annointed. In limited number of instances he
could cause thorough investigation to be made,
ana so COulu SujiSly DoyOH"
doubt of the fitness of candidates. But it was
impossible thus to investigate many thousand
cases in single year. The President also
knew that he could not rely upon the recon-
mendations of his political friends. Active
| politicians in different States he had dis
covered by sad experience at the threshold OF
his term, would not hesitate to pay their
private debts, or serve their private interests,
by recommending unworthy scamps. II
| thousands of new men wee to be hastily
appointed, it would be necessary to make most
of these selections on no better evidence than
the recommendations of local politicians.
| The President decided to make many
| thousand changes, nevertheless. He decided to
| put out of Office many thousand persons OF
whom he could know nothing beyond the
recommendations of local politicians. He made
many appointments and permitted his Cabinet
| officers to make many more, and the work of
removal and appointment has gone on 10 this
| day with such rapidity as to make il impossible
| that there has been even the attempt to i'll
| yestgae in most cases. This course the
President has adopted, though he knew full
| well that it wOnld involve the appointment of a
| great many worthless sclmps. lie had his
| choice, between retaining tried and worthy
men of known fidelity, and appointing new
men under such circumstances that many errors
| in selection were unavoidable. He chose to
duty.