New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-14
THE NEW PRESIDENT AND 1HE C1FLL

One Of the most troublesom problems OF the
early DAYS of President Harrison's Administra-
tion will be that of Civil Service reform. His
position will be infinitely more difficult than II
there had been no Democratic inteTegnum IL
he were about to succeed Republican, the
situation would present no very trying ques-
tons. The personal appointments which com
mon consent and common sense permit 20
every President would be made, and only such
changes would follow beyond these as would
come in the natural course OF events. But the
legacy General Harrison will have from Mr..
Cleveland in the shape of Civil Service, dis
organized in some of it's most important
branches. may we'll fill the new President with
dismay. He must shoulder the burden, for it
lies in his path But how shall he dispose Of
Il? He cannot permit the ex-convicts,
thieves ballot-box suffers and even more dan-
gerous representatives of the criminal classes
who have got offices under the Administration
TO keep them. He cannot allow the mail SER
vice to remain in its present condition. lp-WaS
safe under Republican Presidents to send
checks through the mails. Newspaper pack
ages were not stuffed with campaign docu-
ments as was done by hundreds OF Democratic
postmasters during the late canvass. When a
letter was legibly directed, under Republican
Administrations, it was almost certain to reach
it's destination. Under Mr.. Cleveland the
chances Of it's getting there have depended
upon the number of new Democratic ap-
pointees through whose hands it had to pass,
and whether they were occupied with politics
or were too ignorant to perform their duties.
The business men of the country will GER
tainly not be satisfied if the President does not
take prompt steps to restore the postal SER
vice to its old efficiency. So, too, OF every
other branch of the Government service-and
there are many-that has been demoralized by
the sweeping changes made under Mr.. Cleve-
land. But right here comes the danger to
Civil Service reform. There are always more
oflice-seekers than there are Offices and the
pressure on General Harrison is likely to be
enormous. This very situation will be used
as the justification Of sweeping changes. II he
should yield to the pressure, as Mr.. Cleveland
did we should have Republican clean sweep
following Democratic clean sweep, and Civil
Service reform will be greatly retarded. We
expect, in any event. to see the Democratic
and so-called Independent press In full cry
after President Harrison in few months,
charging him with making wholesale removals
on the old-fashoned plan. He must expect
attacks of this kind, If he does his duty in
strengthening out the tangle Mr. Cleveland will
leave behind him. His record has been so bad
that so warm a partisan as The Evening
Post'' (Dem.) fatty declined to defend it in the
height of the campaign. If General Harrison
should not undo so much Of MIR. Cleveland's
work as is worthy of blame, he would be equally
guilty.
1t will take strong hand to hold the balance
between the changes demanded by reform and
the changes demanded by hunger for Office
but we believe President Harrison has it.
The country has already learned to know him
as a sngularly well-poised. self-contained man.
Broader than Arthur, and with larger civil
experience less emotional than Garfield; hay-
ing qualities of leadership which Hayes did not
possess; a statesman by nature and soldier
| only ON occasion, unlike Grant, who was q
soldier by nature and statesman only by ac-
oident, we believe President Harrison will
leave a record behind him second only to that
of Lincoln.