The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-18
The Presidents Inslncsrity.

/ The President is gaining reputation for
/ insincerity. He does not live up to his
| promises IN his public utterances. and yet
pretends that be does not know in what
respect he has failed TO do So A Washing
ton dispatch in the Baltimore Sun a day or
two ago contained statement to the effect
that the civil service commissioners recently
told the President that they found in many
localities an almost total disregard Of the
civil service law, and, also, that the impress
SION prevailed to very considerable extent
that his administration had no respect for
this law The President said that he was
not responsible for this impression, and that
it the commissioners would do their duty
faithfully he would see TO it that they were
sustained.
The President has made that sort of
promise several times. In his letter OF &C
ceptance ne said that 'in appointments Of
every grade and department, fitness and
not party services should be the essential
aud discriminating test, and fidelity and
efficiency the only sure tenure of office"
He also said that "only the interest of the
public service should suggest removals from
public Office" Any one who has noticed
particularly the appointments made since
this administration came into power kno ws
that these promises have not been kept If
they had been the civil service commits
sioners would not have reported to the
President that in many localities there was
an almost total disregard of the civil ser
vice law, and that the impression prevailed
that he had no respect for the law
It is a notorious fact that although the
railway mail service was placed within
civil service regulations on May /. hundreds
of removals were made in that service during
the month of May. and the vacancies filled
without any reference to the civil service
regulations Thousands of postmasters,
against whom there was no complaint, and
of whose efficiency and fidelity to their
trusts there was no question, have been re-
moved. What wonder is it, therefore, that
the impression is abroad that this admins
tration has no respect for the civil service
lava
A few days ago the postmaster at Vine
land, Il. j., was removed without cause.
He was appointed for four years, and had
served only two. Mr.. Cleveland had per-
mitted his prede, essor, a republican, to
serve four years, and as his administration
of his office was satisfactory to both repub-
licans and democrats it was expected that
he would be permitted to retain his Office
for the full term for which he was an
pointed. In fact, so pleased were the peo-
pie Of Vineland with his management of
their postoffice that, without respect to
party, they were ready to petition for his
retention for the remainder of his term,
When his removal was announced the re-
publican newspaper of the city said: at
was the wish of the Vineland people. ire
spective of party, that he should be al
lowed to remain in the Office until the ex-
piration of his term in 1891. Should a vote
be taken here to-day on the question of his
removal, we believe the verdict would be
almost unanimous in favor of retention"
This is only one instance of many, but it is
sufficient to show that the President has not
kept his promises In his letter of accept
ance he posed as reformer, but in practice
he is proving himself to be as much of
spokesman as any one Of those ward poll
ticians in Troy, N, Y, who, a few days ago,
when a new postmaster for that city was
appointed, parceled out all the places in the
postoffice among their political friends in
their respective wards
If the President wants to be respected for
sincerity he must not promise one thing and
do another. He must remember his promises
and live up to them. If he intends to
reward his partisan friends for party SER
vices, by giving them the offices, regardless
of their fitness and in defiance of the letter
and spirit of the civil service law, he ought
to say so frankly. The people will respect
him for his frankness though they NAV
condemn his practices.
Got,ar,a ~ ra,,,x Me- -.