The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-06-01

JUDGE ToURGEE, in his "~Bystande:'s
Notes." in the Chicago Inter- Ocean,
devotes his article mainly to a
criticism of the civil service laws as prac-
ticed by the "man of destiny" or "child
of luck" as Cleveland proclaimed him
self. The question is one that is attract
ing the attention of the people of the
U. S. to a degree but little less ~intently
than the great question Of all questions
now before them for serious considera-
tion-the protection Of all American in
dustries from the ruinous competition
of foreign rivals. And Mr.. Cleveland, in
the civil service question as in the tariff
issue, gives unmistakable evidence of a
leaning of preference for English rather
than American methods of carrying out
the law. The Republican party with a
small minority of the Democracy desire
a civil service system which make the
appointed not the mere tool or slave of
some demagogue, who would make per-
sonal fidelity to his political fortunes the
tOot VI IN III OIC pODlblOh, uuI u bCE-
want of the people whose ability and fit
ness to fill the place with credit to him
self and the public was the first import
ant consideration. Faithful and efficient
in the work for which he is paid from
the public treasury should be the only
test of continuance in official position to
which he has been appointed and should
have all the rights and privileges of any
other free American citizen whether
Republican OIL Democrat. Not the mere
creature of some higher official who can
relegate him into a state of ''inocuous
desuetude" on the fiimsy pretext of
offensive ~partisanship," far more base
and unmanly than the bold outspoken
"to the victors belong the spoils," which
is the real sentiment of Cleveland, de-
spite his pompous ~pretenses and loud
pledges of devotion to the principle, and
his solemn pledge before his election
in his inaugural after cleo
ton, to faithfully execute the law if
elected; pledges so loudly proclaimed
and so shamefully violated that any
party but the Democratic would
relegate the best man in the party Tor
such reckless violations to the
shades of private life and
''Innocuous desuetude" for all time to
come rather than make him their plat
form and nominee as Cleveland is of the
Democracy. What necessity exists for
a cumbrous commission and the extrav-
agant expenditure Of public money to
maintain 1t, in the arrangement o fwhich
Mr.. Cleveland's partisanship was 30 very
conspicuous, is not easy to understand.
Bystander says,to make the civil service
respectable 1t must be American in
sentiment and the appointing power
should be non-partisan; that the pres
ident or heads of departments should
not have power to remove a clerk or
other than q chief officer during the
term of his appointment except for good
and sufficient cause assigned in writing.
He would also have he appointment for
a longer term than the presidential
term. This would ohviate the necessity
of an entire change with every change
in the administration, which would not
be advantageous probably. Bvstand-
er agrees with President Arthur, who
was familiar with all the evils of the old
system of patronage, and unlike Cleve-
land was in earnest in his desires for re-
form, in making not only a fixed term but
in making him entirely independent and
free in his actions or opinions upon all
public questions subject only to the laws
and faithful discharge of his duties under
them. He makes some good suggestions
and he could scarcely recommend any
thing that would not be agreat improve
ment on the buncombe methods of the
present autocrat of the Democracy. If
Cleveland's policy is but a sham pre-
tence of obedience TO n law, he has de-
vised all the means he is capable of in
venting to violate. The present system
is imperfect at best and ~ carried out
by Cleveland Is simply odious. 1t is a
mask to cover the grossest notatlons OF
the spirit and intent of the law and its
open reputation by Cleveland at the
beginning Of his reign would have been
far more honorable than the hypocriti-
cal pretentions under which he has
studiously sought TO pose before the
people as an ideal civil service reformer.