Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1888-01-19
Civil Service Reform.


SPEECH OF HON. ETGENK HALF
WAsHI>GruN. Jan. lin the I ;.
senate today. Hon. Eugene Hale called up
III resolution providing for an inycstisa-
lion ~ the Government 10 the end that all
the peril> invoked may BE made public:
MIR HALE. This resolution. Mr.. Pres
iicut. ha- been offered with the sincere
purpose ~ securing such an Investigation
"A, viii disclose to Congress and 60 tho
American people the present condition OF
the civil service Of the Government and
the performances Of high and low ofiicias
in that service. a. bearing upon subject
which. Of late years, las assumed ia our
politics A position Of considerable import
auco.
Late Republican Administrations have
recognized the force Of this sentiment and
General Grant and President Hayes. dur
Ing their respective administrations. sought
"a conform aS far AZ might De- with the
reasonable demands Of this agitation. and
during The second session Of the Forty
seventh Congress. IN 1888, 4 Republican
Congress enacted tbs statute from which
/ llye quoted IN r4y resolution, which
statute was approved ~ a Republican
President and htcame the law OF the land
President Arthur honestly end faithfully
sci the laae hnery Of this statute 70 work
ami In all the appointments 20 the classes
covered by IL provisions. strictly followed
IL directions The comparison that
would suggest between President Arthur
course in this matter and the course Of his
successor j that President Arthur. IS IN
al. tl.lugs in which he engaged. made no
proclamation OF hi, superior virtue in
starting out. but 1o.teutcd himself with
modc>i.y and earnestly dolas - duty IN
dor the law. He was not CiAqucrcd asl'l
app,audrd. but none the le-s he wa-
practical a..i earnest ciNJ!-scrNicc reform
e. have not hear! the contrary assert
ed ~ claimed In transmitting the report
II iA, civil Service Commissioners. seh-
ruar. ?. !-.4, u Congress be says l p
an the good result which this law Aa> al
rraly accomplished congratulate I ON
gr,-- ana the people. and aEvG ny con
v.ction that II will hcuccforth prove - lie
u >tiil lnOrr signal benefit 10 the pabiic
service The kepub.irau party. which
President Arthur represented. VA con
tent 20 So the operation ~ ihs IisilsA-!-
wee reform statute carried ont through
The land \ noticeable change lock place
in the construction Of it. party organtdas
tI0u- both N national aud state politics
.
eminent or connected in ans way with -
executive or legislative departments H.
ar,,,r.re.i from = national. STATE. and 10
csi committees. aad tl.e management o!
i;s organizations. through ssIh commit
tee. raAst-d into other hands. Lake ihs
act, Of Pre,idsIf Arthur this was done
with no flourish ~ if.mpei>. but simply
- tribute Of obcdlegce u lie spirit 81
the. law which had been enacted.
| hay, not set sHen any recognition 81
This act on the part Of the leaders of shc
Republican party from any Of the organ
izations which assume to represent civil
service reform throughout the country.
II j. but fair to say for the persons who
constituted the civil-seryicc of the Federal
Government at the time when the statute
was enacted that in vast majority OF
cases no complaint Sas made against
them. they attended 70 Their ..llies faith
fully. they Were good citizens, Appreciates
by their neighbours aHd friends. Toe al
ninistration OF the Government through
their !abors had been conducted under one
party for nearly twenty-five wears with M,
cxampled success The percentage OF
deficits. Of defalcations and embellishments
and losses to the government In al it, vast
transactions bad steadily decreased, 80
tia, under the lat Republican sdministra-
tion the rate Of the losses sas 80 small a.
compared with the corresponding faiE N
tl,. last Democratic administration that t;lE
general charges Of ineiiclency aud cor
rup,iou were listened TO by no well-in-
fOri..ct man.
Ia tile Aat.onal election in 1854 both par
ties recognized, IL their platforms, civil
service reform.
am now approaching. BIZ. President.
the consideration OF the course OF Presi-
dent Cleyeland's administration. elected
upon the statements and pledges which !
have .ust quoted. These statements and
pledges 80 connection with subsequent
utterances made by the President, are the
foundation for tbs declaration Of Mr..
George William Curtis ia i4s address 10
the annual meeting Of the AatiOna! Gtyjl
Service Reform League held AZ Newport
August 3. lss6, that President Cleveland
! Identified in the public mind with the
cause Of refofa.'
In personal interview published in the
Boston Herald January 80. isss the Pres
ident makes the following eplgtan.4..atic
pttcrance-: No, | have tried 10 be true
TO NY Own pledges and the pledges Of my
party. We botl promised To divorce the
Offices Of the country from being used for
party service. have held ~ ny promise,
and mean 10 hold to IL Also tbs fol
lowing What / understand ~ c4yA -ser-
vice reform, As | am carrying II out, j.
that the ofiice-holders shall he divorced
from politics while they ill their positions
under this Government. That rule have
meant 10 stand by
Let us now see, Mr. President, how
these high-sounding pledges have been
kept s'r. Curtis declares that they at
tracte6 a SsHie;ent number of independent
voters 10 the STANDARD Of the Democratic
party to elect its President. II this be so
il Il worth the while 10 bring 70 the ns,i.ds
OF those independent" men and TO the at
tention of the eonntfy the READ condition
Of affairs since the Democratic party, after
gaining possession Of the Government
through the pledges of its candidate, came
into full power.
Before going to this. Mr.. President,
wish i distinctly understood that in any
arrai gnIneLl which may make of the
present administration touching it, APP
pontments and the partidg patton OF civil
officers of the Government under it n poi
itics. am uttering hG complaint IN the
interests of Republicans who have been
removed from Federal Offices. These H,ea
have made no complaint, and will make
eosac. In common with other Senators
upon tsats side of the Chamber, | have
made no attempt TO retain them in office.
Indeed, Mr.. President, Notwithstanding
the platform of the Democratic party and
the declarations and pledges OF ~ eandl-
date. have never expected much less THAI
a clean sweep at the hands of the Demo-
cratic party; for if there is anything that
the leaders oi thst party and its masses
believe in and mean 20 maintain 1t is the
doctrine that ITO the yictoss belong the
spoils;' and Mr.. President, il w&s not
only that Mr.. Cleveland was elected Pres
Idea. in November, 1884, but what was of
much more Importance to the country, the
Democratic party. which Mr.. Curtis de-
clared was both hungry snd thirsty for
Office" was set up in power.
The man is blind who does not see to-
day that the spirit of that party upon the
question of the Gstyitsiien of the ''spoils"
+ Is powerful, as controlling, Is dominant
as it ever was in the days Of POS OK
Pierce or Buchanss. This is what, a. We
have all seen, has brought the President
and party leaders together. This is what
has made Senators who two years ago de-
nounced and derided the President because
of his ssImpracticabis eivil-service reform