Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-09
day sent the following NOM

Hugh 8. Thompson, of South Carolina, to be
United States civil service commissioner in the
place of Alfred p Edgerton, removed.
WHAT JUDGE EDoERToN SAYS OF HIS REMOVAL
Judge Edgerton was at the capitol this after
noon. He says that he had received no init
nation from the President of any intention to
remove him from Office until yesterday,
when he called at the White House. The
President then requested him to resign his
Office in order that it might be filled by MIR.
Thompson. The President said that there was
little chance of securing the place for Mr..
Thompson as long as there was no suitable va
cancy on the commission. MIR. Edgerton. how
ever, promptly declined to resign, holding that
his resignation would not be polite, creditable
son eliminating that Mr.. Thompson could not
be confirmed if nominated). OF course the
President might exercise his prerogative IL he
saw fit. The President did see fit, and when
he (Edgerton) reached his Office this morning
he found the following letter awaiting him:
THE LETTER OF DISMISSAL.
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 9.
Dear SIR: You are hereby removed from the
Office of United States civil service commits
sioner.
(SigneO GROVER CLEVELAND.
Hon. A. p. EDaERroN.
MR. LYMAN SURPRISED.
When the news was communicated to the re-
naming commissioner-Mr. Lyman-that off,
Ger was surprised. and found himself in q pre-
dicament, as he was by no means satisfied that
he had authority, single-handed, to discharge
the formal duties of the civil-service COM
mission.
Mr.. Edgerton says that he cannot recall any
differences with the President during his term
Of office, except those growing out of the fact
that the President is
THE FIRST MUawUMP IN THE LAND,
while he Edgerton) is a straightout democrat.
He intends to write letter to the President in
day or two acknowledging his removal, and
perhaps adding an expression Of his opinion
upon the Presidents course in the matter.
1T HAS BEEN KNOWN
for some time that the President has been dis
satisfied with Mr.. Edgerton, and that he
wanted to appoint Mr.. Thompson, as
sistant secretary of the Treasury, to that
place, but Mr.. Edgerton would not take a
very broad hint to resign, and the
more direct method of removal had to be re-
sorted to. Mr.. Edgerton is very indignant
about it. When he was at the capitol to-day
he made no secret of his feeling. He said that
his removal was mainly to make room for an
incompetent who had done more than any
man or set Of men to load his department
down with
UNREcoysTRUcTED REBELS.
He said that the President had asked him to
resign that this design might be carried out,
but that he had replied that he would not be
party to scheme to force an incompetent COM
missioner on the new administration; that he
had positively refused to resign.
AT THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION.
At the civil service commission rooms this
afternoon there was no commissioner present.
In fact there was no commission. Mr.. Ly-
man, it was stated, was the only commits
sioner now in commission. As he can
not act as a board by himself, he
practically has no functions, and will have none
till Mr.. Edgerton's successor is confirmed.
old orders of the board He can
do nothing new. Mr.. Lyman was not at the
Office this afternoon. The dignity of civil SER
vice reform was maintained by Secretary Doyle
and Chief Examiner Webster.
Mr.. Edgerton was at his desk this morning,
but, upon receiving notice from the White
House of the action Of the President, immedi-
ately retired from his place.
Mr. EDaERToN SUCCESSOR.
Ex-Gov. Thompson, of South Carolina, who
has been assistant secretary of the Treasury
for several years, is a democrat, recog-
nized as one who has fully sympathized
with President Cleveland's utterances and ac-
tons respecting civil service reform. In the
Treasury department he has made an effort to
apply slflclly the CIVIL service rules.
Mr.. Thompson was the author of the resolu-
tions adopted by the South Carolina legislature
in 1885, urging the reformation of the
civil service, the enactment Of
laws securing the tenure Of federal
ofhce-holders and rendering to Mr. Cleveland,
then President-elect, the hearty approval by
that .body of his expressed views regarding
civil service.
THE PRESIDENTS POSITION.
The President has been represented as being
unwilling to nominate Mr.. Thompson to
this Office on account Of the
uncertainty of his treatment by
the republican Senate. There are now two
vacancies the commission, Mr.. Oberly's
place having never been filed. 1t was thought
to-day that the President had concluded that
an appointment in Mr.. Edgertons place might
be confirmed by the Senate, as it would leave
a vacancy to be filed by Mr.. Harrison.
Under the law one member of the
commission must be democrat.
Mr.. Edgerton has been represented
as being unable to agree with his colleagues.
He has during the past six months been away
from his Office much of the time.
An official speaking Of the matter to-day said
the President could not do otherwise than he
had done after the pointed criticism of Mr. Ed
geton made in the Senate the other day.
CAPITOL TOPICS.