San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-02-29
CIVIL SERVICE ON DECK.

CIVIL SERVICE ON DECK.
The presidential rebukes OF republican
Office holders for pernioious political &C
tivity.are receiving pertinent illustra-
lions In the present make up OF the
democratic national committee. The
country at large and republicans in
general will not readily forget how re-
publican official after official was dis
missed on the ground that he had taken
part In election or had been unduly
active In the councils Of the party, or
had contributed funds for election pur-
poses, or had taken the stump In
favor OF republican candidates, or
done any one Of the hundred
and more ill.defined, vague and indef-
mite things which were classed under
the very convenient head OF pernicious
political activity; that is, what was sup
posed to be political activity some
what pernicious to the purity and
national rather than partisan character
of the administration. All this was
very well, as far as 1t went. but at the
time IL was generally suspected that
Mr.. Cleveland was not 80 much concern
ed for the service of the government
Suffering from the .causes alleg-
ed as he was fearful that
democratic Office holders might
be pining for the places held by republi-
can incumbents. The manner In which
dismissals were made from Office seemed
to bear out that construction, and the
impression became quite general that
the president was making use OF mere
pretense of reform among politicians OF
the republican stripe to GUST officials
who belonged to the republican party.
This Impression has deepened month by
month until today the country sees quite
clearly that 1t was not reform but the
heads OF republican officials that
the president hungered and
thirsted for. There has been no
president this half century has made so
many removals without cause and who
so unblushingly uses the officers and
powers Of government for personal pO-
litioal, or party political, ends as does
Grover Cleveland. The makeup OF the
democratic national executive commit
tee abundRntly proves this. Two cabi-
net officers and five other appointees TO
public Office directly by Mr.. Cleveland,
i'd places upon that committee.
Speaking of this matter, the Cincinnati
Times-Stsr mas the following vigorous
utterances:
A glance at the composition OF the
democratic national committee, which
has just been in session in Washington
arranging for the denomination OF Mr..
Cleveland, shows how thoroughly the
civil service rules forbidding federal Of
ficials participating In political contests
are set at defiance. Don NJ. Dickinson,
postmaster general, represents Michigan
on the committee; Gen. Villas, secretary
OF the interior, represents Wisconsin, 5.
Corning Judd, postmaster Of Chicago,
represents Illinois; w. w. Armstrong.
postmaster OF Cleveland, represents
Ohio; Il. I. Jones, collector of customs
at New Orleans, represents Louisiana, b.
b. Smalley, collector OF internal revenue
at Burlington, VT, represents Vermont:
NJ. ii. Ham, an official at Dubuque. rep
resents Iowa. This makes two members
Of the cabinet and five other officers Of
the administration appointed directly
by Cleveland himself, who are members
of the national committee, all working
tooth and nail for his reelection and
haI 90
beautiful set of civil service refOrmers,
isn't it, Mr.. Curtis Let the dismissal
of republican postmasters at backwOOds
crOss-corners for "pernicious activity"
proceed.
This is one OF the beautiful results
Of democratic ratiocinatiOn on the pro-
found saying OF Grover Cleveland
plagiarized from an English statesman's
utterRnces "A public Office is pub
lie trust" This ennOblinR sentiment,
which, like touch Of kingly hand up
on mortal lie, was supposed to work
divine charm In the reformation Of the
party politics of this country, receives a
new illustration. For months 1t has
been embslmed In the public mind as
meaning that public Office lie a public
trust" to be administered for the public
good. Today ID is baptized into new
meaning and comes forth as the expo.
nent Of the idea that the public Office is
a public trust put in pawn for the con-
tinuanoe 10 power OF those who exer-
else that trust. 1t means, not only 10
the victors belong the spoils, but to the
victors belong the hypothiostion Of pos
sible office for future spells. In other
words, public Office is a public trust'
entrusted to the democratic holder by
the public, for the sole and exclusive
use Of the democratic party in its at
tempt to perpetuate itself in power and
retain its grip on office.