Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-01-12
Is EIempHfed by The Administration 0
Grover Cleveland.
A Scathing Anaignment of the Presi-
dent and Truthful Exhibit of the
False Pretensions of the
Chief Executive
WASHINGTON. Jan. /.
SENATE.

performance of certain high and low officials
of the government. At the commencement
of Lincoln's administration the public affairs
were filled with adherents of that party which
were the exponents of the doctrine that To
the vctors belong the spoils-under that adj
ministratlon the chief test of fitness was 10y
atty. Not few of those appointed had
within the last three years been turned out
on the cold charities of the world TO make
place, for men who never had any sympathy
with the principles of which Lincoln had
stood as great representative.
Both Gen. Grant and Presi lent Hayes
had, during their administrations rec
ognized the growing sentiment of the country
in favor of civil service reform and had en-
deavored to conform in his appointments to
the reasonable demands of that agitation.
The 47th Congress (Republican) had
enacted the civil service statute and Presi-
dent Arthur had, with sincere good faith,
appointed civil service commissioners and
gwen support and encouragement to them,
but he was content to do this in quiet way
I If he (Hale) were To make any contrast be-
tween President Arthur's course on that sub
iect and the course that has since been pur-
sued, it would be simply to call attention to
the fact that President Arthur made no
proclamation, no promises, no pledges, but
contented himself with carrying out the
law according to the purpose and spirit Yet
he (liale) failed to see any recognition of the
action of the leaders of the republican party
/ in that respect, on the part of the organiza-
ton which claimed to represent civil service
reform. Both great parties i'll 1884 declared
themselves in their platforms in favor of civ
/ il service reform, but as the campaign pro-
gressed it was seen that considerable body
of men Yho had formerly affiliated with the
republican party, had determined to oppose
its candidate. 1t soon became clear that not
only this body of men bent on opposing
the republican candidate, but looking about
for reasons to support his opponent Gov.
Cleveland. The candidate of the democratic
party had not failed to observe this and ac-
cordlngly professed adherence TO civil ser
vice principles in his letter of acceptance
Clevelansl's declarations had their effect.
In close states they had influence enough on
the voters to be decisive of result and Cleve-
! land was elected President.
! Hale quoted from an interview with Cleve-
land published in Boston in 1850, in which
Cleveland was represented as saying:
Il have tried to be true TO my own pledges
and the pledges of my party. We both prom
ised to divorce the offices of the country
from being used for party services"
/ Thus they had, as clearly as words could
give them, made pledges for the administra-
ton to civil service retormers. The ad-
ministration had been elected, (as Geo. W,
Curtis and others frequently asserted)
on the strength of such pledges. He Hale }
never believed in the sincerity of
these pledges, because if the democrat
/ ic party believed in any one thing more than
another il was in the doctrine Ito the ylctors
belong the spolls." He had before him a
table showing the sweeping changes in all the
departments of the government up to the lth
of June, 1887. That table showed that out
of 2370 presidential postmasters, there have
4 been 2O00 changes ;out of 81 900 fourth class
postmasters, 40, 900 changes; ont of 33 for
eign ministers, 81 changes; out of II secre
taries of legations, Ii changes; out of Ill
collectors of customs, 100 changes; 32 sur
veyors of customs were all changed Not
one sixth of the naval officers remained. Of
/ the 46 appraisers, two remained; of the IL
superintendent of mints and assay officers,
/ IL changes had been made; the nine assist
ant appraisers were all gone; of the - col
! lect0rs of internal revenue, 81 are gone.
In June, last, of the inspectors of steam
vessels, eight were gone; of the 10 district
attorneys (seml-judiclal ortce) 90 had
changed; of the 30 territorial judges (judi-
cial Offices 22 had changed of the territori-
al governors, all had gone: of the Il PEN
sion agents two remained; every one of the
/ 10 surveyor generals had gone; of the 22+
local land officers, 1870 were gone; of the 10
/ Indian inspectors and special agents, but
one remained of the - Indian agents. but
eight remained of the s3 special agents of
the general land office, but four renamed.
1 At this time. June, 1887 the democratic
administration had been but little over two
years in power. The best comment that he
/ (iIale) could make on the table referred to.
would be 10 quote the editorial
headings on the leading democrat.
| ic newspaper, when it expltautly
published the list, These headings were:
The Civil Service Practical Exclusion
of Republicans from Employment under the
National Government" "Only Small
Glass of the Public Servants Protected by
the Pendleton Act" Changes Effected with
as Little Derangement of Business as Posi-
ble." 'Spoismen Not Satisfied"
They are not satisfied, said Hale, because
a small number of offices are still in the
hands of old public servants who did not
sympathize politically with the new admins
tration Since that time changes have been
going on and he hoped to have in few days
L q
march of the democratic party in pursuit of
office had continued down to the beginning of
this year. This showing was amazing. He
had not realized il himself until he looked in
to the figures. The country had not realized
it, The country did not appreciate that un-
der the banner of reform with the watchword
written on every fold. the administration was
a truthless prescription and these removals
and changes in office have been going on at 4
rate une xampled by any other administration
/ in American history. 1t could not be said
that most of these change. took place be-
cause of the expiration of the terms of the
I incumbents or because scrutiny disclosed the
I fact that nineteen out of all cases where
twenty charges occurred were places where
there was no fixed tenure of Office but here
/ the incumbents were removable at the pleas
ure of the President.
/ Secretary Lamar has recently taken oeca-
sion to commend John c. Calhoun for posi-
ton against the spoils system and felicitated
himself on the fact that he belonged to an
administration which was carrying out in that
respect the prin, iples of Calhoun. Yet the
stern facts which have confronted the Senate
in the department presided over BY Lamar,
were that every territorial governor had been
removed, also sixteen out of eighteen pen
sion agents, every surveyor general, four
fif,hs of the local land officers, nine-tenths
of the Indian inspectors and agents, - out
of SO special agents in the general land office
and two-ihirds of the special examiners in
the pension office. Yet Lamar stood today
on this record by uttered words as against
the spoils system, and posed as reformer
Coming back to the question Of
Presidential posrmasters, Hale said thai
in the little space of time be
tween the adjournment of Congress and
the Presidents visit to the Adirondacks, hs
had made 81 removals. Out of 223 postmas
tiers who had been left, only one appoint