New-York tribune., 1886-02-02
THE pBFSJUEN1,S PREDfCAMENT.

II davns upOn the minds of some OF the
Presidents friends, if not yet upon bis mind
that he puts himself in false and fatal position
when he persists in backening the names of
hundreds of faithful officials whom he has re-
moved, because he is not manly enough TO
ayow his desire to have the public service more
largely filled by men of his own political faith
Wheu the question was first raised, IHE L RIB
UNE refused to believe that the President
would take an attitude 50 unworthy OF hlm ana
so fatal to all his professions and promises. lie
knows, and the country knows, that out OF
about 700 removals or suspensions OF holders
of what are called Presidential Offices only Il
beggarly and insignificant proportion has been
made for any other than partisan reasons. II
he had the courage to avOw his real reason tbe
country would be strongly disposed to believe
that he was right in most cases, and at any raie
sincere in all 1t would reason that he had the
best opportunity to know how tar political
sympathy was in fact necessary to the efficiency
of the service i'm this or that office. IL would
concede that there ought to be large measure
of confidence in him that, even If mistaken IN
Judgment, he was at least trying to do his duty
faithfully.
But the President puts a different face on the
whole matte. by refusal to tell the truth. lie
would be glad to give the reasons. men VIII
conclude if they were. .hOnOri ble.and good fea-
sons. He refuses only because he Enows men
will say, that his motives Will not bear scrutiny
He knows il will be inferred that he has turned
out faithful and worthy men, whose services
could not be spared without injury to the pub
lie, and whose duties were such that no political
activity or sympathy with the Administration
was required in their performance ana ne
knows that this would be clear to Intelligent
men if the posts, tho names OF the outgoing
officials aad the character Of the new men ap-
pointed were made known. He knows, 1t Is TO
be inferred, that he has been playing the hypo-
| crite-usng the public service for partisan and
| personal ends while protesting a most sacred
regard for theprinciples of Civil Service reform.
For that reasou and no other, it will inevitably
be thought, the President consents to place
unmerited discredit upon officials who have
| served the public with rare Intelligence and
fidelity. If honest in his own purpose, and con-
scous of rectitude in his own action, would he
stoop to such injustice!
President Cleveland has not yet gone so far
that his steps are irreyocablc. 1t is still in his
suspensions only ten or twenty were made
because of any objection to the persons IN
office. A list of these with the grounds of
objecti0n,is is transmitted In all other cases. no
"imputation whatever is intended against the
officers removed The change was deemed
"necessary by the President, in the exercise OF
" his constitutional powers, i'll order to secure
"that harmony in pol tical opinions, and that
sympathy between heads of departments and
! their sub0rdinates, which the President finds
requisite to efficiency of the service" That
sort of reply wOuld command respect 1t would
| be honest and manly. If the people should be-
| lieve that the President had erred in judgment
| in this or that case, they would stil feel that
he had not stopped TO come slanderer of
worthy men, nor degraded himself by hypocrisy
while seeking to serve himself or his party.