The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-11-30
PRESIDENT HARRISON AND THE
CIVIL SERVICE.

The New York Independent recently
wrote to a number of men asking them
what, in their opinion, the new Repub-
lican Administration ought to do with
these forty thousand Democratic Office
holders. Three of the answers were
published in its last issue. Senator In
gals writes as follows:
"If there will he more than forty thou
sand Democrats in Office on the 4th of
March next about which know moth
ing, they should all be removed before
the going down of the sun on that day,
and more than forty Thousand Republi-
cans appointed in their stead. What
the attitude of the administration will be
have neither opinion nor information"
Those eminent civil service reformers,
Theodore Roosevelt and DOMAIN B. Ea-
ton, of course, express contrary views.
The former says:
"We have right both to expect and
TO demand that under General Harri-
sons Administration there shall be a
distinct and substantial advance in the
direction of extending the Merit System
as contrasted with the Spells system of
making minor Governmental appoint
ments."
And Mr.. Eaton says:
''It is not too much, / think, to hope
that General Harrison will have the wis
dom and patriotism needed to retain q
large number of Democrats in Office,
simply because they are worthy to re-
main there. It would be q noble exam
pie that would do lasting honor to his
Administration and his party. He will
find many thousands of Republicans still
in Office. If he shall do no better than
the present Administration in the mat
ter of removals, he will be much more
severely condemned than President
Cleveland has been, for true reform has
by far the larger part of its strength in
the Republican party"
1t is safe to say that whatever be the
views ofthe various gentlemen, Presi-
dent Harrison will follow out a true and
good policy in appointments. The first
thing to do will be to make such changes
as will bring the civil service back to its
old efficiency. The people know that
Democratic regime has demoralized
many partitions of the public service, es-
pecially that of the post-office. 1t is not
likely that President Harrison will make
wholesale changes for merely partisan
reasons. AS the N. Y. Tribune says, sit
will take strong hand to hold the bal
ance between changes demanded by re-
form and the changes demanded by
hunger for Office" We believe Gen.
Harrison has such hand.
In this connection it may be interest
ing to note that on Saturday last the In
dianapolis Journal, which is considered
to be something of a confidential Harri-
son organ, contained an editorial article
which is looked upon as significant. The
article ID upon the civil service reform,
which it claims has come to stay, and
will move forward rather than back
ward.
The "clean-sweepers," the Journal
says, should not be unreasonable in their
demands on the next administration.
The more unreasonable the demands
and expectations in this regard the great
er the liability to disappointment. The
Republican party is fully committed by
its platform pledges to civil service re-
form, and Gen. Harrison has declared
himself in full sympathy with it. The
Republican party is pledged to use dis
ordinations in removals from Office as
well as in appointments thereto, and to
use both primarily for the public welfare
rather than for supposed party advan.
tage. The civil service law must be
obeyed.
The article concludes as follows:
From what has been said it is evident
there are many things to be taken INTO
account in connection with the demand
of the clean sweepers, and if they have
the welfare of the party at heart they
will recognize the necessary limitation of
the situation. One thing they can rest
assured, the President-elect is as old and
earnest a Republican as any of them and
can be depended upon to do the very
best thing for the party as we'll as for
the country.