The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-02-10
The Administration.

In removing men from office whose
terms had not expired, and on the flimsy
ground of offensive partisanship," the
President assumed grave responsible
ity. If the President does not feel him
self legally bound to give to the senate
his reasons for such removals, the sus-
pended officers are yet entitled, as a
matter of right and justice, to be in
formed of the nature of the charges af-
fecting their personal or official integ-
rity. If the President has made re-
movals in violation of the tenure-of-
office law, this is matter that concerns
the senate when that body is called upon
to act upon the appointments of success
sors to the suspended officers. Further
than this there should be no disposition
to restrict the Presidents power to
make official changes; and probably a
majority of republican senators have no
wish to have any controversy with the
executive regarding the manner of fill
ing the offices save on the grounds
mentioned. They have little occasion
to make any contest with the President
for partisan effect, for the administra-
ton is supplying the republican party
with all the campaign material it re-
quires.
In the outset the President announced
that no efficient officer, holding for a
definite period, should be removed dur
ing his term except for cause. There
is strong ground for the belief that
nearly all removals or suspensions have
been made for no other than partisan
reasons. The Presidents refusal to
give the facts in any particular case
leaves it to be inferred that his real
reasons for making these changes will
not bear public scrutiny. In any event
the suspended officers do not expect to
be reinstated, and the republican sena-
tors do not contemplate any such result;
but they simply ask that justice shall
be done to the suspended officials by
making them acquainted with the ma
ture of the charges upon which the re-
movals were ostensibly based. What
ever may be the outcome of the pend
ing controversy, the country is well
enough convinced by this time that the
Presidents professed regard for civil
service reform principles has failed to
materialize and that he has all the
time been using the public service for
the benefit of his party.
In many other respects that might be
named the administration has greatly
belied its reform professions. In re-
view of the record the administration
has made thus far, the Tribune remarks:
"The President finds that his attorney
general, and host of other prominent
officers selected by him, have accepted
stock in company for services which
they were expected to render in max
ing themselves and their associates rich.
His secretary of the navy has been
forced to confess that he had no iustif-
cation for forcing the bankruptcy of a
ship builder had deserved the graft
tude of the country. His postmaster
general is arraigned for open and fla
grant violation of law regarding the
foreign mail service, and has been de-
tected in putting men into Office lille
gally." Then there is the attempt of
the administration Gin the Sterling case)
to nullify an important provision of the
civil service law, the demand from the
several cabinet officers for appropria-
tons for their respective departments
largely in excess of any required under
the last republican administration, and
many other acts to show that genuine
reform and economy are not distinguish
ing characteristics of the democratic
administration. Within few months
not a few republicans have remarked,
in view of the fact that the President
was making official changes somewhat
slowly and apparently with considera-
BILE care, that he was doing very we'll
for democrat. They can now see that
while he has had great opportunities for
doing well he has not improved them.