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


Ny friend from North Carolina (Mr. Ran
SONY. who win have all the Presidential post
masters in his state, ~ hope, in his Sens-
torial race next year. has quietly proceeded |
TO have every one of them changed, at which |
none Of Us, of late, have heard any grumb- |
lings from his colleague Mr.. vance, ~ 70
the impracticable theories Of the Administra-
ton.
South Carolina. out of eighteen Presidential
post-offices, had in October but one holding
| over, and all of the customs and internal
revenue officers in that State are new.
| Louisiana has twelve Presidential post
Offices, all being new appointees.
| Indiana, under charge of the eloquent
Democratic Senator from that State Mr..
Voorhees,, has not been forgotten, and out
of eighty-seven Presidential post-offices only
those at Crown Point, Goshen, and Union
City remained in October unchanged.
The Florida Senators must be surprised to
learn that one Republican postmaster was left
at Eustis, out of seventeen Presidential post
Offices. l commend this accidental escape to
their immediate attention.
How it has happened that in Delaware, with
but six Presidential post-ofices, Republican
postmaster still holds atNewark is an anomal
Gus condition yet to be explained.
| In the Northern States. where there are no
Democratic Senators and but few Represen-
tatives in the other branch of Congress,
somebody has been equally effective in the
cause of reform.
Colorado has twenty-eight Presidential
post offices. only two of which remained I'M
changed in October.
| Iowa has one hundred and twenty-four
| Presidential post-otfces, and of these seven
remain unchanged.
Kansas has one hundred and ten Presi-
dental post-offices and out of these the post
masters at Augusta, Cawker City, Frankfort,
Hays City, Humboldt, and Lindsborg have
escaped the ak.
In my own State out of thirty Presidential
post-offices five remained unchanged at the
date already given.
In Massachusetts the Democratic party has
maintained an Indifferent, and indeed sulleH
! attitude toward the Administration, because
of the fact that out of one hundred and
twenty-six Presidential post-offices twenty
three, up to the date of the last election, re-
manned in the hands Of Republicans.
In Michigan, out of one hundred and six
Presidential post-offices, fourteen remain.
In Minnesota, out Of ffty-o six remain.
In Nebraska, out of seventy, six remain.
In New Hampshire two Republicans, out
of thirty-two Presidential post-offices, remain
|
In New York, out of two hundred and
nineteen Presidential post-offices, forty seven
remain in Republican hands, or did previous
to the last election.
This is not so bad a showing, after all, in
the cause of reform and for the further
satisfaction of ny friends upon the other side
of the Chamber, and for the encouragement
of the average Democratic politician in the
country, l am glad to be able to say that the
Administration has lost no vigor in this work
of removal Indeed, wherever an examina-
ton has been made, showing the rate Of
changes from month to MONTH it has been
discovered that although the number of re-
movals to be made is less the percentage of
change is constantly increasing.
The Civil Service Record Of Boston, q
good authority upon this subject, not long
ago investigated the unclassifed service in
the Interior Department, and reports the
rapidity with which the changes have been
made, as follows "On October !, 1886, the
percentage of changes was II; on January
l, 1887, the percentage was IS l-2; on July
l,lS87, the percentage was 90"
At this rate it can easily be seen that the
remaining small percentage will soon be re-
moved. The cry Of kill, kill a. in the
massacre of st. Bartholomew day, grows
louder as the number of victims increases
There are tables which show that. Every
Senator can see for himself, as to Presidential
post-ofiices running for four years Of time a.
their term of office that in two years of an
administration, upon the doctrine of averages
the term of one-half might expire. | have
been giving the record in these States where.
instead of one-half might expire. / have
been giving the record in these States, where
instead of one-half of the number of post
masters being changed, the proportion ranges
| from five-sixths to nineteen-twentieths or to |
a complete change, so that whatever may be |
the fact in Delaware-and that | did not
comment on-the Senator himself must see
that it argues nothing, but that removals &C
celerate these changes beyond what would
naturally occur on the doctrine of averages.
Mr. GRAY do not understand that the
Senator insists that the President has done
wrong in filling post-offices which became
vacant by the expiration of term Of the in
cumbent.
Mr.. HALE have said before that did
not claim that all of these changes had been
by removals; that could not be claimed; but
significant fact attending the pledges and
promises of this civil-service reform Admin
istration is that the terms have expired not
one in five hundred of the old incumbents
has been reapponted. Itgoes without saying,
and nobody raises question, that their sue
cessors will always be Democrats, notwith-
standing the President has said that he will
not encourage horde of office-seekers to be-
siege the Departments Of the Government and
his door for rewards for partisan work but
the essential thing is that the these changes
amount to such a sweeping revolution in their
nature that they show that removals have in
creased the number of nominations We get
every day in the messages sent here BY the
Executive.
have just given the instance which the
Senator did not hear, that in the little space
OF time between the sdjournmento Of Congress
and the Presidential visit to the Adirondack
Mountains, out of two hundred and twenty
three Presidential appointments that were
made ninety -one were to fill office. vacated BY
removals, and only one Of a man to succeed
himself
Let US now, Mr.. President, turn to III.
other side of this subject Of reform in the
civil service, that which relates to the often
sive participation Of office holders in politics
That this should not be permitted in any
weii-regulated civil service goes without say
ing. The President saw this clearly, and his
utterances IN relation to il are a. clear and
distinct as they were upon appointments and
removals.
have already quoted from his letter of
acceptance, in which he deprecated the e1-
isteDce Of "a horde of office holders, with q
zeal born of benefit received and fostered by
the hope Of favors yet to come, who stand
ready to aid with money and trained political
service" the party to which they belong And
We have seen further his declarations, after
assuming his high office Of the thing. which
he believed to constitute true il.servics
reform, namely
The separation Of the ONCE. from poIite. the non
participation OF ONCE holder. In elections and con
ventions. WI :
During the 3rst year of the Presidents, sd :
mInistration, and as the time approached for
the campaign which preceded the State and
Congressional elections in 1896, it was dis
covered that things we're going on in tn. Dem
ocratic party very much after its old fashion.
The men in office were manipulating con.
ventions, fixing nominations, :" and takin, =
upon themselves the conduct Of the campaign