The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-01-26
Sham Civil Service Reform.

the dangers which threaten the industries and
working people Of America through Demo
| cratic supremacy. Senator Hale has shown
up the sham civil service reform of the Demo
cratic party and convicted the President of
practices in direct opposition to his profess
sions. There i, like contrast between Demo-
cratic professions and Republican practices.
Under Iincoln's administration ''thc chtf test
of fitness was loyalty. Not a few of those
then appointed had within the last three years
been turned out on The col! charities of the
world to make place for men who never had
any sympathy with the principles Of which
Mr.. Lincoln had stood As the great representa-
tive. Gen. Grant and President Hayes had
during their administrations recognized the
growing sentiment Of the country in favor Of
civil service reform. AMI had cndCavorod to
conform appointments to the reasonable de-
manl # that agitation" The civil service
statute was enacted by the i7th Congress Re
publican) and was carried out in good faith by
President Arthur; and in 1854 both the great
parties declared themselves. IN their platforms:
in favor of civil service reform. In addition
The candidate Of the Democrat" party, with
view to getting the votes of TIE sc-ca!led indie
pendents, who wanted pretcXt for opposing
the Republican candidate, furnished them one
By processing adherence to civil ser, ice princl-
pies in his letter Of acceptance, anl thus sec,lr-
q. his election.
Mr. Hale quoted from an interl lew with
Mr.. Cleveland published in Boston in 1855, in
which Mr.. Cleveland IS represented as saying:
81 have tried to he true to III; own pledges and
the pledges of my larty. We both promised
to divorce the offices OF the country from be-
in.s used for PARTY Services" There they had,
as c'car!! a> words coul'i rive them the pledges
Of The admins trAion to the civil service re-
formers. That administration had been elect
cd, aS MIR. George ". Curtis and others had
frequently asserted, on tie strength cf such
pledges. lie (lIale) had never believed in the
sine. rtv of thc>" pledges. because. if the
Democratic party believed in g..y one thing
more than in another it WAS in the doctrine
that "to thu NctUrs belong the spoil>." He
had hefor" him table showiu" the sweeping
changes in all the departments Of Tie govern
ilrit uI t. tic lIi Of June, l>S,. That table
showed that, out Of 333,,9 presidential post
masters, there had been 200D changes; out If
,2.6e9 fourth class po-tma>tcT> there had been
4a,0G0 changes: out of 35 foreign ministers. 30
changes; ext of u secretaries of legation. Ii
charges: out ct IL collectors OF customs, 100
changes; - surveyors Of ctl>tons were all
changed: not one OF the six naval officers re-
manned; Of aG appraisers hut > remained; of l3
>uperintcuduiitS IF nti,t> and assay offices
there wc. II cii#n9cs the > assistant apprli>
cY> were all gone: Of the - collectors OF inter
nal reyenuc, >4 Had couo in Jane last; Of the
II inspectors of steam vessels, : were gone: Of
- district attorneys. >eni-iudiciai office. -
We're changed: If 80 territorial iu-tces. iU!iciai
Offices, - were Changed; of territorial govern
or, ail we're gone; OF Is pension HGent>. bat
tive remained; cNerE one Of Tho II surveyors
general Was gone; ui ~ oral ltti officers, i99
were @oi.c: Of 10 Indian inspectors and special
agents bat ! remained; OF - Indian agents but
$. and Of % Special agents of t!ie -en'ral land
cfre bat /. At thi. tnae, june. 49,. The
Democratic administration had Ltcn hut lttI,
over iNo wears in power.
Tie ht>i coUiE,uI thai Lc Iiajt could
make on The table referred to was to lu"'e The
editorial hea'ling> Of Il leading Democratic
newspaper when it cNuilautIy Published that
list. Thrs, tytlint- We're: '.'ih,l Civil ser
vice." 'TraeiicaI Exclusion Of Republicans
from Employ mcnt tnlrr HE National Gov
ernment." .""OIily a Snal Gas Of Public Ser
wants Protected by the pcmdeton trt.' The
Changes tt,ed with as Little arrangement
of Uu>ir,>, a> Possible" ,""~' nii>intn Not sat
i>ied." Not satisfied. sad ili. Hale. because
small number Of offices Were >Iiil ia tie hands
Of oll public servants who did hot >yNIaihize
Politically With the new a.'nili>, ration. Since
that time changes bad trcn going on. and lie
hoped to have III i few days f0ritr table.
showing how this coEquerin- march Of the
Democratic party in pursuit of Office had cor
tiuuod down - th beginning Of this ycar.
This showing. hc >;ti'i Wa. amazing. He had
not rcaiIcrit himself ,lut he hal looked INTO
the figures. 'ihc country had hot realized it.
The country lA not appreciate that, nnd,r the
banner If reform. With it, Watehword written
On every foil 81 hc administration, thr ,uth
less prescription ami these removals. and
change in office hal been going ON at rate
"'l' t5'i'il''H al any t'ii'1 ''i
American history.
Il could Net he said ,hat most of those
changes tcoil place hnra.l,e Of the cXpiratiou
Of the terms Of tlr incunbcut.. because srrU-
tiny DISCLOSED thu fact t,iat lD-.Nth> Of all tine
eases where changes h!d occurred were ayr~
where thsrr w.> no iiXed tenure Of office. but
w heru TILL ;ncumbc:ts were removable z, the
tIrasu,t. 1T tbc President Secretary Lamar
had recently taken occasion TO rom.ncnd John
{. Iaiii,,iu 10: HI, i,u>tiui. t-a.il-t the spoil,
systcin ai.i had fe,lvitated himself On the fact
that he hclolgcd to an administration which
WA, rarry;li, out in that r.>urc! thp uriuciults
of iaholiu. And Vet the stern fatt- which
-ilrd over hv Mr. Lamar were that every terri
tora governor Hal been removed; also, Ii out
Of Is pension agents. every surveyor gent raj,
four-f:fh. of te local luud officers ninc-telths
! of The Indian inspectors and a-Vtt>. - out of
| =; special agents of lie general land office and
| two.thirts Of The special examiners in the
pension office. Yet Mr.. Lamar stood to-day on
record, ly lis uttered words, a> against the
| >pos system and posed as 4 reformtr. Com
| ing back 10 the question Of Presidential post
masters, Mr.. II die said that i'll the little space
| Of Time lptWpru the adjournment Of CONGRESS