River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-10-04
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
An Ex-Mugwump Discusses the
Subject Impartially.
cIeveiand's Promises Compared with His
Course of Aetion-The Distribution of
Oniees Among Corrupt Demo
cratic Machines.

apolis. The lecturers prominent identity
With The movement in years past, espe-
eially four years ago, when, on the strength
Of Cleyeland's record for Civil Service re-
form while Governor of New York, he
gave the Democratic candidate his sup
port, and thereby largely influenced the
result of the election, lent additional in
terest to his lecture. Whatever hopes the
mugwumps may have entertained that Mr..
Swift would go to their assistance in this
campaign must be dispelled when they
know his scathing denunciation of the
present Administrations hollow pretense
Of Civil-Serv.ce reform. He said
The constitution puts nto the Presidents
hand the tenure OF l25OOO Federal place
holders. who receive in wages some $50 90 900
year. How the President shall use this i'm
perial power is the first question relating to
the Presidential once. The President is not a
law maker. He may by his veto delay and
sometimes prevent the enactment of a law.
But, as President Cleveland IN his letter of &C
eeptanee said his duties are essentially
executive" He is the man whose peculiar
business IS 10 see TO IL that public officers do
their duty. Every other Presidential duty is
awarfed beside this, and II this duty is not
well performed the failure can not be made up
by activity IN other fields.
just before his Inauguration, the Younh
Governor Cleveland was nominated and he
was elected chiefly because his career was an
emphatic promise, approved and guaranteed
by The Democratic party, that he would per
form the specific duty OF reforming civil serv-
ice Soon after the Inauguration Mr.. Pendle
ton sad: Il have entire faith to think that
President Cleveland is true friend OF Civil
Service reform; it was the bold and manly
stand which he took in his letter OF acceptance
that made his election possible"
II is proper therefore to look for present in
dications and il they are still unfavorable we
can not do better than TO attempt to uncover
the wall against which active reform breaks
Itself through periods of successive Admins
trations and parties. l ask your attention TO
the fol flowing letter:
"ExECUTIvE MANSION, WAsHINGToS, d. C.,
April Il, lSsd.-Ths Hon. j. B. Beek-My Dear
Sir: I think ought to say 10 you that Mr..
willis has to-day quite earnestly insisted, both
to the Postmaster-General and myself that
Mrs. Thompson should be appointed post
m stress at Louisville. This is his home ONCE.
There does not seem to be any chance of
agreement between him and other members of
kentueky's representation in the two houses
Of Congress, and can't clearly see how, in ex-
listing circumstances l can Tor at least why
should make an appointment in disregard OF
his expressed wishes. l wish to dispose of th e
matter soon. Yours sincerely,
GROVER CLEVELAND
When that letter was written Mr.. Willis was
the Representative of the Louisville district,
and Mr. Beck was Senator from Kentucky.
And ask your attention to u con tract be-
tween General Edward S. Bragg aud A. X.
Delaney which says that in case Grover Cleye-
land is elected President of the United States
at the pending elect on, the said A. X Delaney
and his friends shall control the Govern
ment patronage in Dodge County." When this
contract was executed General Bragg was
about TO be nominated for Representative OF
the Second Wisconsin district TO which office
he was soon after elected
Such are SIN the signs OF the times after a
struggle now continued for twenty years to
break down the spoils system. A man. expect
ing TO become Congressman, sells the Govern
ment Offices in given territory TO another man.
The President OF the United States says Of a
Congressman: u can't see clearly how IN ex-
sting circumstances I can Cor at least why
should make an appointment in disregard OF
his expressed wishes This is the stone wall
by which the advance OF reform is blocked; this
power exercised by Congressman, of filling
Federal places with men from their respective
domains, and these two documents treat that
power as firmly established and OF authority
not 20 be disputed.
But what is the ground of such authorltyi
The Constitution says that the President shall
appoint al officers of the United States whose
appointments are not therein otherwise pro-
vided for; but Congress may vest the appoint
ment of inferior officers IN the courts or in the
heads OF departments.
Under this clause the Minister to England
ana the spittoon-cleaner OF the Indanapoli is
pOst-ofice are alike Officers OF the United
States" Congress has vested the appointment
OF great number OF infer or officers in the
heads OF departments, but the tenure of office
OF these heads IS in the hand OF the President.
Leaving out a few exceptions and limitations,
appointment 10 the service OF the United States
rests ultimately with the President There is
not Ii ne nor a syllable in the constitution or
the laws that gives any member OF Congress
the right 10 interfere or dictate. Yet hero Is a
would-be ongressman-G eneral Bragg-who
for the support OF A. X. Delaney enters into a
written contract that in case Grover Cleve-
land is elected President of the United States
at the pending election the said A. X. Delaney
and his friends shall control the Government
patronage IN Dodge County"
When Pres dent Cleveland was inaugurated
the Congressman Of his party had nothing new
to add To this system. II was a great oppor-
tunity. Here the Federal civil service
with its l25.000 employees and about $50, 100 900
annual wages. 1t was practically made up of
Republicans. To weed the service until there
was not a man IN it who did not have the
highest experience, training, skill and eff
cheney was task most difficult to a President
dsmissing his own partisans, comparatively
easy to one dismiss;ng his opponents The
act required -pdftiSan tests Tor
admiss on 10 $4,000 places, and thus far was an
escape from Congressional interference. This
act could be extended at the Presidents will
CLEVELAND PROMISES.
This President was elected after saying in
his letter accepting the nomination for Gov
nor of New York: 'Subordinates in public
places should be selected and retained for
their efficiency and not because they may De
used TO accomplish partisan ends. The
afufFF ant tn nd of oh MIA
should depend upon ability and merit And
after saying IN his first annual message as
Governor: Appointment Of ssbordnates in
the several State departments and their tenure
of office or employment should be based upon
fitness and efficiency" and after saying in bis
annual message as Governor in 1891: "The APP
plicat.on to the public service OF the same rule
which prevails in ordinary bus ness OF employ
ing those whose knowledge and training best
1T them for the duties at hand without
regard to other considerat ons, must
elevate and improve the civil service and
eradicate from il many evils from which it has
long suffered" and, after saying in his letter
accepting the nomination for President, "Tne
selection and retention of subordin ttes In Gov
eminent employment should depend upon their
ascertained fitness and the value OF their
work. and after saying in a speech at Bridge
port during the campaign, There should be no
mistake about this contest 1t is an attempt TO
break down the barriers OF the people OF the
United States and those that rule them. The
people are bound down by a class OF officehold-
ers." and after the Nat Onal Democratic Com-
mittee in its campaign textbook Of 1884 had
had published from the New York Stats Zsu-
ing: Let there be an opportunity offered TO
the people for a change of parties Of such q
kind that the victors must give up all idea of a
general distribution OF ofaces among their ad-
herents and the people viii joyfully agree TO
IT," And more than all, after this remarkable
utteranee In Mr.. Cleveland's letter OF accept
ance: when we consider the patronage of
this great ONCE, the allurements Of power the
temptation to retain public place once gained,
and, more than all, the availability a party
finds in an incumbent whom horde OF office
holders, with zeal born OF benefits received aud
fostered by the hope OF favors yet to come,
stand ready to aid with money and trained po-
ltical service we recognize in the eligibility OF
the President for reelection most serious
danger to that calm. deliberate and intelligent
action which must characterize government by
the people"
The gauge of our expectations is found in
the NafioH. which said a week after his cleo
ton: I'VE do not believe, and we have reason
for not believing. that President Cley Gland viii
disturb or allow 20 be disturbed any Officer of
the Federal Government on account OF his po-
Htical opinions In other words. no man will
be removed on account OF his political opinions
or for any reason but incompeteucy and neglect
of his Official duties And one month after the
election the Nati0R said: in fact, C.vil-Serv-
ice reform IS going to be through a eombina-
ton OF circumstances the crucial test OF the
new Administration. By that it must stand or
fall Mr. Cleveland is not prominently known
20 the public in connection with any question
Il d