Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-01-12
CIVIL SERVICE.
Hale Asks That Its Con.
dition be Investigated.
DEMOCRATIC CHANGES MADE.
The Senator Arraigns Lamar's
Incumbency and Gets in Shot
at the President.

sented a Joint resolution declaring
that no further effort can be properly
made by the United States to obtain
cooperation of the governments in es-
tablishing a common ratio of values
between silver and gold as money.
Laid on the table.
Hoar offered resolution requesting
the President to transmit to Congress
the report of the Pacific Railway Com
mission. Adopted.
HALE'S PROPOSITION.
A resolution offered by Hale for Sc
lecting committee to examine fully
into the present condition of the civil
service was taken up. Hale addressed
the Senate in explanation and advoca-
cy Of it. He declared that his object
in offering it was to secure investiga-
tion with the sincere purpose OF bring
ing before Congress the present actual
condition OF the civil service of the
country and also the performances of
certain high and low officials OF the
government. He had before him a
table showing
THE SWEEPING CHANGES
In all departments OF the Government
up to the 11th of June, 1887. The ta-
BILE showed that out of 2379 Presiden-
tial postmasters there have been 200O
changes. Out of $4,000 fourth-class
postm asters there have been 10000
changes, out of 33 foreign ministers 80
changes, out OF q secretarys OF lega-
ton Is changes, out of ITO collectors
of customs 100 changes, of 80 survey
ors of customs all were changed, not
one of the six naval officers remained,
out of 92appraisers but two remained,
of Is superintendents of mines and
assay offices there have been II
changes, nine assistant appraisers
were all gone, OF S5 collectors Of inter-
nal revenue S4 have gone, out of II
inspectors of steam vessels 8 were
gone, out of 20 district attorneys, a
semi judicial office, 22 were changed,
of territorial governors all We're gone,
of Is pension agents but two remained,
every one out of sixteen surveyor
generals were gone, of 224 local land
appraisers 100 were gone, of 10 Indian
inspectors and special agents but one
remained, of 50 Indian agents but 8
and OF SO agents of the General Land
Office but 4. At this time (June, IS,
1881 the Democratic administration
had been but little over two years
in Office
THE BEST COMMENT
He (Hale) could make on the
table referred to was to quote
the editorial headlines of lead
ing Democratic newspaper when
it exultingly published that list.
These headings were: "The Civil
Service, Practical Exclusion of Re-
publicans from Employment Under
the National Government. Only
small class OF the public servants
were protected by the Pendleton Acts,
and the changes were effected with as
little arrangement to business as pos
sible. Hale hoped to have in few
days a further table showing how
this conquering march of the Demo
cratic party in pursuit of offices had
continued. Down to the beginning
of this year the showing was amazing.
1t could not be said that most OF
those changes took place because of
the expiration OF the terms of the in
cumbents, because scrutiny dis
closes the fact that nineteen-twentieths
Of all cases where changes had occur
red were places where there was no
fixed tenure OF office, but where the
incumbents were removed at the
pleasure of the President.
THE POPULAR IMPRESSION.
Hale traced the growth of the senti-
ment of the country since Lincoln's
administration in favor of civil service
reform and the recognition of this
sentiment by Presidents Grant, Hayes
and Arthur, and it's influence on both
parties in the election of 1884.
Cleveland's declarations in that re-
spect in the close States had influence
enough on the voters to be decisive of
the result, and he was elected Presi-
dent. Hale quoted from an interview
with Cleveland published in Boston
in 1885, wherein the latter responded,
saying, "I have tried to be true to my
own pledges and the pledges OF my
party. We both promised to di-
vorce the offices of the country from
being used for party services" There
they had, clearly as words could
give, pledges OF civil service reform
ers. The Administration was elected
on the strength Of such pledges. He,
Hale, never believed in the sincerity
of the pledges, because if the Demo-
cratic party believed in any one thing
more than another it was the doctrine
"To the victors belong the spoils."
LAMAR ATTACKED.
Hale attacked Lamar's administra-
ton of the Interior Department, say
ing that during Lamar's term of office
every territorial Governor had been
removed, sixteen pension agents.
every surveyor-general. four-fifths of
the local land officers. nine-tenths OF
the Indian inspectors and agents,
seventy-nine out of eighty-three spe-
cial agents of the general land office,
and two-thirds of the special examin-
ers in the pension offices. Yet Lamar
stood to-day on record, by his uttered
words as against the spoils system
and posed as a reformer. The Sena-
tor claimed that in political conven-
tions at New York, Pennsylvania and
Maryland prominent Federal officials
had been active participants and in
answer to a question from Hawley
said that he had heard of no removals
or even censures. So gross had been
the violation of every
PRINCIPAL OF REFORM,
and of the direct pledges of the Presi-
dent that even the Evening Post of
New York had said of these things
that they will be used in the cam
paign there with terrible effect. The
President has not hesitated himself to
deal deadly blows at the cause of re-
form. In this connection Hale re-
ferred to the recent municipal elect