St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-06-12
THE oFFICEHoLDERs.

The federal officeholders have it
within their power to contribute ma
terially to Democratic success this year.
Not in the usual way, and as was the
rule under Republican regime, by pull
ing off their coats and working for the
ticket during the entire campaign.
Quite the reverse of that. 1t is by
strictly attending to performance of
the duties of their offices, just as if no
election were on hand, that the office
holders can contribute most to Demo-
cratic success this year.
When the CLEVELAND administra-
ton came into power it was with the
distinct promise that civil service re-
form should be a leading feature of the
administration. And it has been. Mr..
CLEyELAND's election was due to the
independent voters who supported him
because they preferred him to BLAINE,
the spokesman. 1t was understood in
advance that BLAINE's election would
result in the suppression of all effort III
the direction of civil service reform.
MI. CLEVELAND'S record as mayor
of Buffalo and governor of New
York seemed to be guarantee
that he would be an honest champion of
reform in the civil service. The open
and active hostility of the spoilsmen in
his own party confirmed this opinion in.
the minds of the Independent voters,
and as result they stuck to him and
elected him. During the nearly four
years of his administration the presi-
dent has exhibited so many evidences
of his sincerity as a civil service re-
former that the independent voters again
stand ready to support him, provided
nothing occurs during the progress of
the campaign to disturb their confidence
in him.
Thus it is. as above stated, the federal
off1ceholders have it within their power
to materially promote Democratic sue
cess or to insure defeat, the result de-
pending largely upon their conduct dur
ing the campaign. Being the appointees
of the president, the officeholders are
virtually a part of the administration,
and their actions will be scrutinized as
closely as the movements of the presi-
dent himself. 1t behooyes each and
every one of them to act discreetly, for
false step or unbecoming conduct on
the part of one would be charged up
against the whole administration.
The fact that man is an officeholder
does not deprive him of political
privileges that are the legitimate right
of all American citizens. But it does
diSqualify him for active partisan work.
The two main principles of civil service
reform are, first, that promotion should
proceed upon the basis of merit and
not as reward for party service; and,
secondly, that the sole duty of an Office
holder is to earn his salary by sticking
strictly to the business of his office. 1t
makes no difference whether this theory
is popular or not, or whether it COM
mends itself or does not commend itself
to the Judgment of the individual Office
holder. The fact remains that the
CLEVELAND administration is pledged
to it, and every member of that admins
tration is in honor bound to give it a
strict enforcement. Mr.. CLEVELAND
was elected before because he was be-
lieved to be honestly in favor of civil
service reform, and if he is elected
again it will be for the same reason.