New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-13


thew do not see the necessity of adding to their
numbers in any wholesale fashion.
------=
FOR THOMPSON OF SOUTH CAROLtNA'
No more appropriate climax could have been
devised for the Civil Service Reform record OF
the outgoing Administration than the removal,
in its last DAYS, of the president Of the civil
Service Commission to make place Ior
"Thompson of South Carolina" We have the
word of the President himself for this, for he
said it in 50 many words to Judge Edger-
ton, in demanding his resignation, ana inc
latter reported them to our washington corre-
spondent. ANY other removal for spoils pur-
poses would have been far less picturesque anu
instructive. But to remove the official head OIL
the board having in charge the competitive
examinations prescribed by the Reform syS-
tenn, and to do it with the distinct assurance
that it is not because of dissatisfaction WIN
Judge Edgerton, but because the place Is want
ed for Thompson of South Carolina, who can
not hope to linger long in the post OF Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury, is TO disclose inc
real Reform policy of the Administration in all
its nakedness 1t must be admitted that there
is nothing very new in all this. This Admin
istration has been taking care of Thompsons-
using this as a generic term, for long time
past-Thompsons with opp and without.
Thompsons from South Carolina and all the
other thirty-seven States and nine Territories
but the time and the attendant circumstances
combine to make this special action In behalf
of this particular Thompson noteworthy ana
instructive.
If the President had removed Judge Edger-
ton long ago because he was not believer in
Civil Service Reform, and therefore his pres
ence at the head of the Commission was bur
lesque and scandal, the action would have
forced public approval. 1t would have been
in the line of repeated recommendations by
THE TRIBUNE, which probably had little
weight however, with Mr. Cleveland Judge
Edgerton has been stumbling block in the
way of Civil Service Reform ever since he was
appointed. He has persistently ridicuied in the
newspapers the very system it was his duty to
administer A grosser absurdity than his re-
tention in office under these circumstances can
not be imagined Yet MIR. Cleveland suffered
it to continue until less than month remained
of his term, and then removed MIR. Edgerton,
not because his course had given displeasure.
but in order to get berth for Thompson OF
South Carolina
The transaction would not attract much at
tention if it were not in such vivid contrast
with the professions made at the beginning Of
the Administration, which now has less than
three weeks to live. Singularly enough, while
these were abandoned for the most part as soon
as the canvass for a denomination was fairly
under way, many of the Presidents special
idolators, the so-called Independents, 60 on
talking to this very day in the tone they were
using when MIR. Cleveland was writing his first
message and all the eastern sky was rosy with
promises They shake their heads over tho
prospects of Civil Service Reform under Presi-
dent Harrison. To hear them it would be sup
posed that the outgoing Administration had
invented Civil Service Reform, and had de-
voted all its energies to its successful ntroduc-
tion, and that the incoming Administration
was grossly ignorant Of Civil Service Reform
and hostile to it. To any one familiar with tho
history of the law this is amusing enough. Mr.
Harrison was a member Of the Senate when the
law was passed. and voted for it at a time when
Mr.. Cleveland was first learning his duties as
Governor of New-York. 1t was passed by the
Republicans in spite Of the opposition Of the
mass of Democrats in both houses, and its en-
forcement was successfully inaugurated under
a Republican, Administration. All that Mr..
Cleveland and his Administration have sue
ceeded in doing has been to interrupt the proper
progress of the reform and embarrass its
future. But we do not believe that President
Harrison will allow this to deter him from adj
vancing by every means in his power an i'm
portant movement which he had share in in
-
is pledged.