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

Inseparably connected with the agitation,
and, perhaps. in q large degree accounting
for the growing sentiment behind it, was the
alleged offensive participation of men hold
ing Federal Office in the politics of the coun-
try. The men and the associations who
brought forward this grievance and who adj
horred this scandal declared that Eot only
the elections but the primaries and the eau
cuses which selected candidates to be sup
ported BY the different parties were under
the manipulation and control of those who
were generally known as and called office
holders" 1t was proclaimed everywhere
by those who urged the reform, and the cry
was taken up by Democratic newspapers and
orators, that the vast army of men holding
Office. numbering near a hundred thousand,
stood as a menace, and might at any time
stife the expression of the peoples voice
when change of administration should be
honestly demanded.
Late Republican administrations have re-
cognized the force of this sentiment, and
General Grant aid President Hayes, during
their respective administrations. sought TO
conform as might be with the reasonable de-
mands of this agitation, and during the sec
oud session of the Forty seventh Congress, in
1858, a Republican Congress enacted the
statute from which have quoted in my reso-
/ luton, which statute was approved by Re-
publican President and because the law of
1 the land.
/ President Arthur honestly and faithfully
set the machinery of this statute TO work and
/ in all the appointments to the classes covered
BY its provisions strictly followed its direc-
tions. The comparison that would suggest
! between President Arthur's course in thi.
matter and the course of his successor is that
President Arthur. as in all things in which
he engaged made no proclamation of his
superior virtue in starting out, but contented
himself with modestly and earnestly doing
/ hi, duty under the law He was practical
and earnest civil-service reformer. | have
not heard the contrary asserted or claimed.
( In transmitting the report of the Civil Service
/ Commissioners, February 2S, 1884, TO Con-
gress he says: III pom the good result which
this law has already accomplished congratu-
late Congress and the people, and | avow
my conviction hat it will henceforth prove
TO be of still more signal benefit to the public
service" The Republican party, which
President Arthur represented, was con-
tent to see the operation of the
ciyiI-service-reform statute carried out
through the land. A noticeable
change took place in the construction of 1t.
party organizations, both in national and
State politics and all men holding Office
under the Government or connected in any
way with its executive or legislative depart
ments disappeared from its national, State
and local committees, and the management
of its organizations through such committees
passed into other hands. Like the acts OF
President Arthur, this was done with nc
flourish of trumpets but simply as tribute
of obedience to the spirit Of the law which
had been enacted.
| have not yet seen any recognition of thit
act on the part of the Republican party from
any of the organizations which assume to
represent vil-service-re form throughout the
country.
1t is but fair to say for the persons who
constituted the civil service of the Federal
Government at the time when the statute was
enacted that a vast majority of complaint wa,
made against them; they attended to their
duties faithfully; they were good citizens
appreciated by their neghbors and friends
| The administration of the Government through
their labors had been conducted under one
party for nearly twenty five years with unex-
/ ampled success. The percentage of deficits,
| of defalcations and embellishments and losses
| to the Government in all its vast transactions
! had steadily decreased, that under the last
! Republican administration the rate of the
losses was small compared with the cor
responding rate in the last Democratic admin
| stration that the general charges of inefiicien-
ey and corruption were listened to by no
well-informed man. 1t is worth the while
here for me to read the tables showing the
rates of such losses during the last forty
years