Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-03-23
MR.. CLEVELAND AND CIVIL SERVICE
REFORM

Inc 1rlenuS OF Mr.. Cleveland who are
working the public for all that party
energy is worth to popularize his renomina-
ton when made, are just now industriously
engaged in presenting the President as an
apostle and example Of civil service reform
OF course ii is intended to catch the reform
sentiment, and use it to fill Mr.. Cleveland's
sails. The fact is Mr.. Cleveland is very far
from proving the civil service reformer he
pledged himself to be. So far as he has
applied the reform, it has been within the
membership Of the Democratic party.
Eighty-tive per cent. Of all appointments
made have been partisan, and of the re-
naming fifteen per cent. the appointees
mainly have been simply retained in cler-
zeal positions, as they have been through
many Administrations The spirit of the
law Mr.. Cleveland has ignored. "Offen-
sive partisanship" is no more rebuked by
him. On the contrary several of the Presi-
dents appointees in Pennsylvania were
last fall the most active manipulators,
workers and bosses in the interest of party
that have ever been seen in the Key
stone State, but no removals have followed
and no rebuke has been administered,
though the Presidents attention has
been frequently directed to the fact.
So, too, in New York, the Presidents APP
pointees made no secrecy of their active
labors IN many political Conventions, and
IN the wire-working preparation for them.
Yet not one New York appointee has been
visited with any punishment, or even a
word of warning.
In the outset of his Presidential career
Mr.. Cleveland did manifest some feeble
forcible energy in maintaining the civil
service reform regulations, but for now
fully two years nothing has been heard
from him manifesting any solicitude about
attractions of the law and the regulations.
Even the Civil Service Reform Association
of New York, which supported him to a
man, felt obliged at its last annual meet
ing to confess that Mr.. Cleveland had dis
appointed it. The President since then
has fatty refused to consent to amendment
of the rules of the Commission, compelling
the officer who removes a subordinate to
report the reasons for the removal 1t
was very simple amendment, and did
not even suggest interference with the
right of removal. The rule would, how
ever have disclosed whether political mo-
tives underlaid the act of removal, and
this the Administration could not afford
after the birth of Mr.. Cleveland's ambi-
ton to succeed himself. Recently, when
the Democratic National Committee met
at Washington, members of the Cabinet
and other Administration officers were
represented by proxy. About the same
time it developed that the Public
Printer and an Assistant Secre-
tary of the Treasury Department
had sent out search" letters to
ascertain from Postmasters the names of
all people receiving mail at the thousands
of postoffices, with a statement as to their
political leanings. OF course, the infor-
nation desired is for the use of the DEM
ocratic Literary Bureau, and probably also
for use in other ways where "pressure 4"
may be safely applied. But the circular
was direct violation of the law and in
fragrant disregard of the regulations
adopted by the Civil Service Commission
and approved by two Presidents The law
declares that no Federal employee is to be
under obligation to render any political
service, and that no such employee shall be
removed for refusing to do so. OF course.
no Postmaster receiving the circular letter
would take chances" by refusing to furn-
ish the information" Nine-tenths of
them know that it would be hazardous to
do so, or, at least that it would render
them very uncomfortable. While the law
reads that no coercion shall be used to in
fluence the political action of any Federal
app0intee. yet everyone knows that such
4 letter as the Public Printer sent out
would be construed by every recipient as a
demand; an order to be obeyed To date
the President has not rebuked the officials
who sent out the letter, nor will he, for his
civil service enthusiasm has evaporated.
1t caught the flies in the outset. but Mr..
Cleveland has no longer any use for them.