New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-11
OWL SERVICE "REFoRM,"
,,,,.r Mr. CLEVELAND HAS NOT DONE.
rx,oS LEAGUE CLUB ADOPTS VIGOROUS
sl n,sohurIoSs AnRAIcSINe THE ADMINS
n.rroS FOB ITS FAILURE TO KEEP
PROMISES MADE BEFORE

..sort ON Civil SERVICE i"se S'~e' " W."
'ss,,tsd unanimously and without any DEBATE
ssSanss;oa or amendment There was gooo at
s.naauee at the meeting. fresioent Depew was
~ and Commodore Alfred van Sandvoord pre-
nded ...r.o os,ao from, ,h,s
-. was the memorial offered in regard to Dr.
s.,e,s This was prepared by Mr. Depew. 1t
- 70 the high character, lofty attainments
"a great services Of the distinguished physician
"a closes by declaring " that tho loss Oh such q
-an IN the prime of life and usefulness is pub
=. calamity, only mitigated by his good works
.rhe living and his glorious memory after DEATH
:, ,rss further decided that portrait OF DR..
.r,s,r should be placed on the walls and that a
-sccrd Of this tribute TO his memory should be
catered upon the records Of the club.
a SKETCH OF THE sPoILS SYSTEM.
r.o ,enort on Civil Service was an exhaustive
.-osentatlon Of the subject. 1t embraced his
,nrv ~ the reform from its inception, prefacing
,tis With a sketch Of the "spoils system from
q. establishment in 1929 by jackson, who made
-sa removals during his first year, against sew
three made by all his predecessors in the
RESIDENTIAL chair, down 20 the appointment of
.hs arst Civil Service Commission by President
In discussing the attitude Of the two great par
notwithstanding oil the difficulties within and without
~, s,tv the Republican Presidents have, in conformity
Win their parys plsuorms carried on this reform until
an March 1888 It may be said 10 have touched the
water marx Of progress Collector Arthur mace only
80 removals In his Official term Of five years and four
,,hs a. against 167s removals which made in the
a. wears Immediately preceding. The president OF the
v.aopa Cvi Service Reform League, who viii be recog'
,,es As one at time supporting the Democratic Ticket
:, ,be annual meeting Of the League in Newport in
August 1884. expressed great satisfaction with The re-
nils attained down that time and declared unpreee-
a.,od progress has made in all directions" The
a.s viii be searched In vain for any charges of retro
erosion or waning zeal the part OF the Republican Tx
ssutlye in the cause of Civil Service reform.
REFORM ADVOCATES VOTED FOR MR. CLEVELAND
After quoting the tributes paid by friends of
Civil Service TO the various Republican Presidents
far the assistance given by them to the movement,
the report says:
In 1888 the time when the Democratic party was
M longer compelled to connne aid Civil Service
town 20 mere declarations The Democratic President
,ound the reform the high road to National triumph
nah has broken through the wilds Of the Spells
svs" and thenceforth all which required In order
"a make Of track broad, deep and wide that
,heforth the weeds Of patronage political assessments
ns,,nsaip and populations could not again spring up
VIA, Ia continue straight ahead and enforce the law In ac
eOrdance with letter and spirit Such was the belief
IN the capacity Of Democratic party to carry forward
reform that euureu
which Democratic candidate encouraged that he was
born reiorer raised up for the special purpose oil
completing this great work, left the Republican party
under the preext Of the great opportunity which would De
afforded the Of Civil Service reicm In his election
and gave the country Democratic Administration
The declarations of Democratic platforms and
the nositiye assurances of Mr.. Cleveland himself
are quoted. They present Lively CONTRAST 10 Ulle
facts and statistics that follow, showing nov
these promises have been dlsregarded by Tie Al
-. a. Eroro gfl
DEPARTMENT the committee finds that the whole
number of chief officers subject to Executive ap
pointment and which includes postmasters. col
ieetors, naval officers, and surveyors OF CUSTOMS
appraisers collectors Of internal revenue, super
intendents Of minis and assays, Assistant SUD
Treasurers, pension agents. local land oineers
is 5e.Is4 or these AZ, 992 had been changed on
June IL 1887 and the number now should be IN
creased TO something over 50,OOO.
NEARLY A HUNDRED THOUSAND CHANGES.
In regard 10 these wholesale removals the re-
port declares:
change in these $4,000 officers Of the Government
implies change in places dependent upon them which
number over so 900 more. The changes embrace va
cancies caused by death, resignation, tusunaoe dismissal
and reappoinment upon expiration OF term Inc deaths
are estimated in hundred the voluntary resg
nations extremely few the 1ustinable dismissas made In
conformity with the Civil Service rules and regulations
rigdy applied equally few and since nneteen-twenteths
Of ell those removed held their Offices under no liked
tenure few opportunities OF reappoinment were AFFORDED
BY reason OF expiration OF designations made on
request and under threat arc practically unust1abe dis
msas since the opportunity Of getting rid OF the ooec-
onabe employee good existed is abundanty pro-
vided for without any resignation OF the 24O0 Presi
Dental postmasers very Insignificant number have been
reapponted and nearly all have been changed
OF the other postmasters OF which there are upward OF
$1,000 II appears 10000 have been changed within
year. and it is known that OF the remaining looo the
greater part OF them held oces which commanded so sp
Nvnrf
Of change OF the IS Collectors OF internal Revenue "a
changed and Of the III Collectors Of Customs
100 appointments have been made OF the assistant
heads Of bureaus chief and heads of divisions
which al the accession Of the President were hleo py
trained officers neGFy all have been removed and mex
perenced Democratic successors put In their places
The foregoing figures show the results to June IL
1887 UnQuestoned authority received from Washington
shows that the policy has been continued down 70
tile present time The ground Of offensive partsanship
which has been put forward the usfying cause OF
many removals appears have been mere preext and
subterfuge snce with solitary exceptions the new IN
eunbns have proved to be jealous Democrats as those
removed ardent Republicans such thimhlergglns'
though done In the Of Civil Service Reform Is utter
y with It's principles ana instead of seating an
abuse, grants TO 1t new lease Of hfe
Then follow some results of the Congressional
Investigations made at Philadelphia and Indian
apolis.
THE CONDITION OF THE CUSTOM HOUSE
here is dwelt upon, and leads to this reflection:
The friends Of Civil Service reform must record
their disappointment the failure Of
hbit that aptitude for selecting the best place.
and the genius for this particular reform which IL was
claimed during the last National campaign would dis
tnguish his career, elected Indeed at best
snguarly erred in Judgment and have been most
unfortunate In very great number Of selections
The statement is fully warranted by the record that
Of the Territorial Judges by him. Ave-
within g week, publicly named morally and pro-
REASONABLY unh7 and three Of the five since been
retired misconduct list Of Objectionable appoint
ents made during the first half Of the Presidential term
showed fynne have been OF persons who have been
convicted indicted for various ermes-en have been
concerned in political crimes three desertes and ex
PEELED the United States Senate, three disqualified
from for violation Of oaths three the per-
disreputable that they could not hold Office and
six more OF whom three appointed to enforce
Internal Revenue laws were either themselves liquor sell
ers attorneys Of hquorselers. TO these 10 be
added sixty-one notorious political hacks
NO sooner" says the report in closing, is
the Democratic party in control Of the Govern
l.. a. ~. ...~%.,