Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-01-16

tina; the abuses which have grown up in the civil /
service ineradicxbie know that they are deeply
rooted and that the spos system has been supposed
10 be intimately related to in the maintain
anee Of party organization, and sm not sure that
all those who profess to be the friends OF this reform
will stand firmly among its advocates when they ma
il obstractng their wsy to patronage and place
But fully sppreeiating the trust committed TO my
charge NO such consideration shall cause q relaxa
ton on NV part Of the effort TO enforce this
law
III were addressing none but party friends,
though the coming administration is TO be Demo
cratic due regard for the people interest does not
perm; faithful party work TO be always rewarded BY
appointment 10 ONCE and TO say to them that while
Democrats NAV expect all proper consideration, Sc.
,eetions for Office not embraced within the Civil
service rules will be based upon sufficient inquiry
a. 10 fitness instituted by those charged with that
duty, rather than upon persistent importantly or
self solicited recommendations on behalf of candi-
dates for appointment
In his inaugural address delivered March
4, 1885, the President makes the following
declarations of his views as to reform:
The people demand reform in the administration
of the government and the application of business
principles TO public Affairs As means TO this end
Civil Service reform should be in good faith in
dorsed Our citizens have the right TO protection
from the incompetencv of public employ es who hold
their places solely the reward of partisan service
and from the corrupting influence of those who
promise and the vicious methods of those who eX
pect such rewards; and these who woFthily seek
employne have the right TO insist that merit and
competency shall be recognized instead OF party sub
seryiencv the surrender of honest political belief
Searching through the Presidents first
annual message to Congress, delivered De-
cember s, 1885, one finds, just before its
conclusion, the following reform sentences ::
AIN inclined to think tina; there is sentiment
general in the minds of the people of our coun
try than a conviction of the correctness of the prn
eples upon which the law enforcing Civil Service
reform Il based.
in dpDip strati will prAhably
suggest endment of the methods of its execution
but venture 10 hope that We shall never again be
RENTED TO the system which distributes public po
sitions purely as rewards for partisan service
Doubts NAV well be entertained whether our gov
eminent could survive the strain OF continuation OF
this system, which upon every change OF admins
trstion inspires an immense army Of claimants for
Office TO lay siege 10 the patronage of the govern
ment, engrossing the time of public officers with
their opportunities spreading abroad the contagion
of their disappointment, and filling the air with the
| tumult of their discomfort.
The alluremenis of an immense number of ofhces
and places exhibited to the voters of the land and
the promise of their bestowal in recognition of par
t-sn activity debauch the suffrage and rob political
action OF its thoughtful and deliberatiye character
The evil would increase with the multiplication of
Offices consequent upon our extension, and the
mania for office holding, growing from its indu
gence, would peryade our population so generally
that patriotic purpose the support of principle the
desire for the public good and soicitude for the
| tons welfare would be nearly banished froIs the
tyity of party contests and cause them tn degen
crate into gnoble selfish and dsgrseeful struggles
for the possession of Office and public place
| Civil Service reform enforced by law came none
too soon TO check the progress of decentralization.
One of its effects not enough regarded, is the free
dom it brings to the political action of those conser
yative and sober men who, in fear Of the confusion
and risk attending an arbitrary and sudden change
in all the public Offices with change of party rule
east their ballots against such change
Previous to this, on September IL, 1885,
in his letter accepting the resignation of Mr..
Eaton, the Civil Service Commissioner, the
President took occasion to say:
| believe in Civil Service reform and its applica
ton in the practicable form attainablr, among
other because it opens the door for the rich
and poor alike 10 a participation In public place
holding.
| You will agree with me, think, that the support
which has been given To the present administration
in its efforts to preserve and advance this reform by
party restored to power after an exclusion of many
years from participation in the places attached 10
the public service, confronted with new system
precudng the redistribution Of such places In its in
terest called upon 10 surrender advantages which a
perverted partsanship had taught the American
people belonged to success and perturbed with the
suspicion always raised in such an emergency, that
their rights in the conduct of this reform had not
been scrupuously regarded, should receive due
acknowledgement, and should confirm belief that
there is sentiment among the people better than
desire to hold office, and patriotic impulse upon
which may safely rest the integrity of nstitu-
tion, and the strength and perpetuity of govern
ment
In a personal interview published in the
Boston Herald January 80, 1885, the Presi-
dent makes the following epigrammatic ut
terances: mo, have tried to be true to my
own pledges and the pledges of my party. We
both promised to divorce the offices of the
country from being used for party service. |
have held to my promise, and mean to hold
to it," Also the following: What under
stand by civiservice reform, as am carry
ing it out, is that the office-holders shall be
l;t.. 9
positions under this Government. That rule
have meant to stand by"
Here, Mr. President, we have an admins
tration pledged as strongly AS words can
pledge it to the cause of civil-servce reform
1t was an administration elected, as Mr. Cur
ii. has said, because of such pledges and the
faith that was based upon them. To the
vision of the reformer brighter and better
day was dawning in American politics. APP
pointments to Office were to be made on the
Jeffersonian plan of fitness and character.
There were to be no more sweeping removals.
Nobody was to behold the spectacle of horde
of hungry othce-seekers besicging the capital
upon a change of administration. The affair.
of the Government were to be conducted up
on business principles. The office-holders
were to be 1.-THE servants of the people and
not their masters" They were to be 'di-
vorced from politics" They were not to seek
to control conventions and elections. We
were to have pure, nOn-partisan civil ser
vice"
Let us now see, Mr.. President, how these
high-sounding pledges have been kept. Mr.
Curtis declares that they attracted a sufficient
number of Independent voters to the standard
of the Democratic party to elect its President.
If this be so it is worth the while to bring to
the minds of these 'independent' men and to
the attention of the country the real 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
it distinctly understood that in any arraign- |
ment which | may make of the present Adj |
ministration touching its appointments and |
the participation of civil officers of the Gov |
eminent under it in politics am uttering no |
complaint in the interests of Republicans who |
have been removed from Federal Offices |
These men have made no complaint, and will |
make none. In common with other Senators
upon this 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 its candidate, have never ex-
Pttitu ites tDdu n tltau sweep Al the |
hands of the Democratic party for if there
is anything that the leader. of that party and |
its masses believe in and mean to maintain it |
is the doctrine that "to the victors belong the
spoils;" and, Mr.. President, it was not only |
that Mr.. Cleveland was elected President in |
November, 1854; but what was of much
more Importance to the country, the Demo
cratic party, which Mr.. Curtis declared was
both hungry and 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 distribution of the "spoils" is as pow
erful. as controlling, as dominant as i, ever
was in the days of Polk or Pierce or Buchanan.
That is what, as we have all seen, has brought
the President and party leaders together.
This is what has made Senators who two
years ago denounced and derided the Presi-
dent because of his ''impracticable civil-.er-
vice reform theories his advocates and
apostles to-day. 1t is not that they have
yielded, but that he has Yielded.
Whatever may have been the Presidents
intention IN the beginning, however honestly