Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-02-05
THE PRESIDENT
Unbosoms Himself to a Newspaper
man.

Unbosoms Himself to a Newspaper
man.
Boston Herald Interview.
Il suppose your Republicans did not
believe that a Democrat could possibly
be a good President. How strange!
Men actually seemed to be deluded as
to think that this Great Democratic
party could not be trusted to govern
the country-that it hadn't IA mar
whom it could elect who would admin
lister this Government honestly and
faithfully. Well, that shows how far
party spirit will carry men" He next
spoke of his position toward the Sen
ate in the matter of combinations to
office. He said it gave him some
anxiety, for the Senate had been a good
while in disclosing what it meant to
do. "They seem to distrust me-" said
he, "if l am to accept what l
hear from others. But l hear
nothing from them. They have not
called upon me for information or
for documents. | have tried to deal
honorably and fairly by them. My
purpose was announced at the begin
ming of my administration. l meant
then to adhere to it. l have never
changed it. l do not mean to change
it in the future. 1t seems to me un-
just and ungenerous in them to sus-
pect | do. II 1 had not meant to ad.
here to my policy, it would have been
foolish in me to begin in it. l should
have escaped much in refusing to be-
gin it. 1t is not at all pleasant for me
to disappoint, and l fear sometimes
to offend my party friends.
Nothing but a sense of duty
has brought me to this step. Why run
all this risk. and incur this hard feel
ing, only in the end to retreat? 1t
seems to me it would have been as i'm
polite as it is wrong. No; l have tried
to be true to my own pledges and The
pledges of my party. We both prom
ised to divorce the offices of the coun-
try from being used for party service.
l have held to my promise, and l mean
to hold to it." l said to him: II SUD-
pose, Mr.. President, that pledge was
not retroactive?" "No," was his reply,
IL did not propose to hold party ser
vice in the past in the Democratic
ranks as against a man. On the con-
trary, it gave him u strong equitable
claim to office. He had been excluded
for twenty-four years because he was
a Democrat. He should be remember
ed for the same reason when a Demo-
cratic administration came into power.
provided he was a competent man for
the position to be filed. What | un-
derstand by civil service reform, as 1
am carrying it out, is that the
o~filce-holdeTs shall be divorced from
politics while they fill their
positions under this government.
That rule l have meant to stand
BY" l asked him if he was aware of
any deviation from it among his ap-
polntees. IF there has been any,"
said he, sit has not been called to nv
attention" l suggested that some
such charge had been made in New
York. He said he did not believe that
there was foundation for it, and that
1t was well known there that his
wishes were that the ofice-holders
should attend to the duties of their
positions, and interfere neither with
candidates nor election contests. INV
removals from office, such as are made"
said he, fare made for cause. 1t would
be absurd for me to undertake to
give the country my reasons in all
cases, because it would be impractical
BILE. When l have removed a Republi-
can for political reasons, or for any
other reasons, l would apply the same
rule to my own party. think the Re-
publican Senators should be lust
enough to believe this of me. They
ought to appreciate that / am trying
to do my duty. Why they should con.
tinue to distrust me, l do not see. They
DO not come to me. either personally or
committee, to get an understanding
my attitude, or to obtain explana.
ions on points of action to which they
They stand off and question
5he sincerity of my purposes"