Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-05

the nominating NVhN'hAVh' ohN""
orit 70 secure ench an expires
sion from candidates Tor congtes.
the National Reform League will
IsnderaEe 20 supply the omission
iNJpun the late party change Of admins
tration, on behalf Of the friends OF reform
and In the public interest, the league adj
dressed the newly elected president ear.
nostly commencing 70 him the interests
OF reform, and In forclble, unequlvocal
, and patriotic strain he responded, ex'
+ pressing the sympathy with the move
ment which he had practically proved
as governor Of New York, pledglug him
self TO the enforcement Of the reform
; Il law In good faith, and 20 an observance
OF its spirit I'm selections for appoint.
! ment beyond ITS range. A year and
! i've months Of his administration have
now passed, and the time has arrived
when general survey OF w. action
upon this subject aud OF the condition
OF reform undcr his naturalization Is
practicable aud desirable. The eXecu-
tive committee OF the leage, there
fore, recently appointed committee
OF which have the honor 20 be chairman,
charged with the duty Of reporting nrst
concerning the enforcement and opera
tion OF the national clvil-scrvice laws
second, concerning the principles and
methods followed by the administration
In making appointments, removals and
suspensions, nndlthlrd, concerning the
progress OF the reformed system in state
aud municipal governments,
The direct assault TO repeal the ma
/ Uonal law failed Ia both houses Of con
| gress But the efforts at direct repeal
were only rockets thrown up from a
sinking ship. They served merely 70 cast
mOmontary light upon despair The serl
GUS attack was Of another kind II was a
| proposition to make the payment OF the
salary OF the clyil-sorylce commissioners
contingent upon change OF rules by the
pre- sident which would abolish cOmpeti-
! ton and facilitate partisan appointment.
II was an Ingenious scheme 10 rebuke the
president, TO discrodlt the civil service
commission, and TO nulllfy the reform
law. The fact that II was an attack by
indirectlon, sure II IL did not prosper 70
bG disposed OF by a point OF order and
without record Of tho vote, showed that
the leaders doubted its success. But
lhey were willing to try the assault In or
der TO prove their own hostility To the
president and TO show their constituents
that they were gultlbss OF reform and
would gladly distribute spells II only they
could. In this last purpose the effort
succeeded, but not in rcbnkmg the presi
dent nor in dlscredlting the commission.
Senator liampton's blu making II a
mlsdomeanOr for senator or representa-
tive TO recommend or solicit appoint
mcnts, Mr. wins TO repeal the four
years laws Mr.. Longs to repeal the ton.
ure-Oi-uco act; MIR. Cutcheon's for a
bureau Of ciyllsoryoo appointments;
Mr. Bayne's for the election OF certain
officers by the peoples Mr. CoN's for an
equitable classification and compensation
OF certain officers, were the more promi-
uent propositions affecting the civil scrv-
ice which were Introduced. Some sleep
In committee, some were reported, none
have become laws.
But while the negative conduct OF con
gress alpnally illustrates the indifference
OF party politicians, the action of one OF
the chief bureaus of administration In
the TREASURY department happily Illus
trates the results of sincere, Intelligent
and courageous fidelity to reform.
Tho bureau of printing and en-
CRAVING controls more patronage OF
places not Included IN the classified sery-
Ice than all tho other treasury bureaus
combined II has been notorious as the
refuge OF parasites OF the most unscrupu-
lOus spoismeu, and m investigating COM
mttee OF experts IN the treasury OF the
same party with the chief part OF the
force employed IN the bureau reported
few years ago that the vicious circle OF
lavish appropriation and OF appointment
by political influence had led TO the en-
ploymcnt Of force which In some dlyis-
Ions was twice aud In others three times
as large as was necessary, and that more
than half the force in the bureau might
he dispensed with, Soon after his In.
auguration President Cleveland appointed
tho chairman OF this committee to bee
chief OF the bureau, During the Arst thlr,
teen months Of his control, ending on the
LIST of July, thOre have been but seven
permanent original appointments, an Of
which were to places that IL was abso-
lutely necessary 10 Ill. Three persons
also nave been appointed In the
place OF relatives who had broken down
IN the service, and fifteen OF the most dc.
| serving OF the employees who had been
discharged Ia order TO reduce the force
nave been recalled to the service as they
were needed No person has been dis
charged for political reasons, or 10 make
place Tor another Since the LIST of March,
1880, the force of the bureau hAs been 10.
uuced 10y 200 persons, OF the appronrla.
lions made for It's support for the fiscal
year 1880, $4,000 were returned TO the
treasury unused, and there will be an
estimated saving OF At least Slsa, 600 I'm
tho appropriation for 1856, maxim an az.
grcgato saving of about S250,0e0 In this
single branch OF the department under
this administration, and ali that has been
done has received the most cordial SIM.
port OF MIR. Manning, tho secretary OF tho
treasury. This IL olulservloo reform.
This bureau Is what every other bureau
In the pablo service might become with
incalculable advantage 10 the country. To
political morality and Go the true
Junction of party In republic.
which Is not to distribute patronage
hut to determine policy. But such A
honetlccnt aud remarkable administra.
ton Of an office Is impossible except upon
the condition that happily exists Ia This |
bureau There must be at the head on
me olllee the same thorough belief ia re |
FORM, the same ability aud mtallgenus
ana courage 60 enforce IL which distin. /
gulsh the mead Of the bureau If printing
aud engraving, one OF tho earliest and |
most efficient friends Of reform in tho