The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-02-13
The Presidents Predicament.

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1t dawns upon the minds of some
of the Presidents friends. if not yet
upon his mind, that he puts himself
in false and fatal position when he
persists in blackening the names OF
hundreds of faithful officials whom he
has removed, 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. When
the question was first raised, The
Tribune refused to believe that the
President would take an attitude so
unworthy of him and so fatal to all
his professions and promises. He
knows, and the country knows, that
out of about 700 removals or suspen-
sions of holders of what are called
Presidential offices only a beggarly
and insignificant proportion has been
made for any other than partisan rea-
sons. If he had the courage to avow
his real reason, the country would be
strongly disposed to believe that he
was right in most cases, and at any
rate sincere in all. 1t would reason
that he had the hest opportunity to
know how far political sympathy was
i'm fact necessary to the efficiency of
the service In this or that office. 1t
would concede that there ought to be-
a 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 different
face on the whole matter by re-
fusal to tell the truth. He would be
glad to give the reasons, men will
conclude, if they were honorable and
good reasons. He refuses only be-
cause he knows. men will say, that
his motives will not bear scrutiny.
He knows it will be inferred that he
has turned out. faithful and worthy
men, whose services could not be
spared without injury to the public.
and whose duties were such that no
political activity or sympathy with
the Administrations was required in
their performance; and he knows
that this would be clear to intelligent
men if the posts, the names of the
outgoing officials, and the character
of the new men appointed, were
made known. He knows, it is to be
inferred, that he has been playing the
hypocrite-using the public service
for partisan and personal ends, while
protesting most sacred regard for
the principles of Civil Service reform.
For that reason, and no other. it will
inevitably be thought, the President
consents to place unlnerited discredit
upon officials who have served the
public with rare intelligence and
fidelity. If honest in his own pur-
pose, and conscious of rectitude in his
own action, would he stoop to such
injustice?
President Cleveland has not yet
gone so far that his steps are irrevoc-
able. 1t is still in his power to say
frankly, "of the 700 removals or sus.
pensions only ten or twelve were
made because of any objection to the
persons in Office. A list of these, with
the grounds of objection, is transmit
ted. In all other cases. no imputa-
ton whatever is intended against the
officers removed. The change was
deemed necessary by the President.
in the exercise of his constitutional
powers, in order to secure that har-
mony in political opinions, and that
sympathy between heads of depart
ments and their subOrdinates, which
the President finds requisite to eff
cheney of the SERVICE" That sort of
reply would command respect. 1t
would be honest and manly. If the
people should believe that the Presi.
dent had erred in judgment in thsor
that case, they would still feel that
he had not stopped 10 become SLAM
derer of Worry men, nor degraded
himself by hypocrisy while seeking
to serve himself or his party.-M Y.
Tribune,