New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-04
THE PRESIDENT and THE CIVIL SERVICE.

THE PRESIDENT AND THE CIVIL SEfPiCE'
The opposition papers keep up loud chorus
of attacks upon the Civil Service Reform record
of President Harrison. To read them ono
would suppose that the President was carrying
on an orgy Of decapitaton, instead of having
in fact, moved in the matter Of changes with
marked caution and deliberateness. A little
scrutiny of these attacks will show that many
of them are based upon what it IS SAID by I'M
friendly newspapers the President proposes
TO do, but which somehow he doesn't do
BY keeping up succession OF these, passing
from one to another, the opposition press sue
coed in creating the impression IN the mnds oil
some, perhaps that affairs are in very bad
way indeed. They make no allowances what
ever for the need Of a larger proportion OF
changes at the outset than later, simply because
the Democratic Administration brought into
Office a great many incompetent and I'm
worthy men, who cannot be allowed TO
remain there IL the service is to be re-
stored TO its former efficiency. II mistakes
in appointments have been made, which is not
impoSsible il must be admitted that the din
which is kept Up about them is out Of all pro-
norton to their Importance. One or two APP
which are of only minor consequence, are ex-
aggerated into a National importance. There
was one drunken postal emp0yc appointed
somewhere out in the West, over whose case tho
Mugwump papers have sounded the hewgaG
with deafening pcrSistency. II tho charge
against him is we'll founded, he ought not to
be retained. But IL is safe to say that II the
Republican newspapers had made an equal
noise about similar cases under the late Admin
lstration the sense Of hearing OF good many
American citizens would have been permanently
destroyed.
The opposition newspapers lead their read
ers TO believe that there is JackSOnian reVel
going on in the PostOfce Department Tho
truth is that IL was announced long time ago
that the President would not remove Pres
Dental postmaStnrs until the expiration OF
their terms unless in very exceptional cases,
and the utmost vigilance Of his critics has thus
far been able TO discover only two cases where
this r1Ile has been waived. These were in
New England where Mr. Harrison acted for
reasons which were no doubt satisfactory TO
him. II is true that considerable number Of
fourth -clasS postmastcrs have been removed
but il is, no doubt, equally true that these re-
moyals were necessary. 1t does Tot follow that
removals will continue at the same rate after
the more glaring cases of Incompetence and
lack of fidelity have been dealt with. Mr..
Cleveland was not Judged by what IL was said
be might do, but by what he had done, and
this is obviously the fair way TO Judge Mr.. Har-
Hson. During almost the whole OF Mr.. Cleye-
lands Administration the Civil Service Com
mission was a prey to discussions, and It's in
Huence was neutralized by Tho open opposition
OF at least one member TO the principle Of which
it was the official guardian. One OF the first
acts of Mr.. Harrison's Administration was TO
reorganize the Civil Service Commission in a
way which EFFORTS the most emphatic approval
even from his severeSt critics. II is evidently
the purpose Of the new Commission to enforce
the Civil Service law to the very letter, and in
that purpose they have the hearty cooperation
and support Of the President
1t would not justify Mr.. Harrison to show
| that he was making no more removals than Mr..
Cleveland did. We do not believe that record
Of tho late Administration will be repeated
| under President Harrison. But tho Presidents
critics ought not to be allowed TO blur the gen
eraI memory of'that record. We hope and ex-
| meet 10 see the Civil Service in much better
condition when President Harrison leaves ONCE
than he found il. We hope and expect 10 $50
tho standard Of reform carried higher than II IL
now, and we note with pleasure the aggressive
sentiment OF the Commission on this subject.
Rut the record of the Cleveland Administration
| IA a landmark, and tho people should not be
permitted to forget It,