The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-03-01
EDGeRTONsk'IRE.
rhe Bounced Civil. servic3ae mission-,

The Bounced Civil. Servic3QtS m missioner
talks Back to the President
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2o--Judge A. p. Ed
gerton who was recently removed from
the Office of Civii-Servics Commissioner,
has written an open letter to the President.
He says. among other things:
was indebted to you for the only appointive
office ever held You now declare by your &C.
ton that you regret the appointment. /, with
equal right can say that 1 regret the accept
ance.
Mr.. President, with due courtesy to the high
Office you hold. allow me to say that you a
very peculiar man, positive man-positiveiy
wrong. or positively right-and therefore an un-
safe man to trust; and that element in your
character believe led to your defeat
Pope says: THE most positive men are the
most credulous. since they most believe them
selves. and advise most with their fellow fatter-
ers and worst enemies"
Being one OF that kind OF positive men your
self, you have kept men oflike character around
you who are positive only in their malice and
conceit. They fiatter you and have the concert
that would magnify themselves and the malig
nifty that would detract from others
Juvenal says: There is nothing man will
not believe in his OWE favor
You were credulous enough to believe that
you were elected Pre- ,ident by the Mugwump-,
and therefore you permitted them tn rtalfgn
your friends and TO flatter you into o policy
which led 20 your defeat. You are a man who
would not permit your real friends TO Qdm' nish
you with freedom and confidence and, as a re-
suit you have suffered for the want Of friends,
and your wrecked and wretched greatness has
discovered that there is no true success in life
without the power and blessing Of friendship
You believed that your will and power 10 en-
force il was above all powers, but the will or
the people expressed in Constitutional way
has taught you that there was a wiser and bet
ter way than that chosen by you. .
You will be censured and condemned because
you put no trust in your own party, but be-
ieved yourself TO be better than your own
and greater than all parties. You have ascer-
tanned that the many were not made for the
one. II you can find as many reasons for re-
moving me as the Democratic party, through
Indifference which was simply retaliatory,
had for removing you, 1 shall be quite willing
to remain with you in the gloom Of defeat.
The Judge proceeds to give his UNDER
standing of the Civil-Service law, and
continues:
You caused TO be place upon the Congress
sional Record this announcement of a nomina-
ton by you to be confirmed by the United
States Senate: Hugh 8 Thompson, of South
Carolina, to the United States CivilService
Commi sion. in the place of Alfred p. Edger-
ton, removed"
act. know, and SO do YOU. that the only one
you could give was that it was your will, Tor If
you can give any other your own previous
words would prove il TO be untrue. In my in
terview with you before the removal you ex-
pressly disclaimed having any reasons for il ex-
cept refusal TO resign TO enable you to make Mr..
Thompson's nomination.
Removt d is word of far-reaching potency.
especially when record does not explain it 1
am conscious OF this and deeply panied by the
consciousness.
The people have the right to know the truth
in all matters OF this kind. and for this reason
only do 1 address you. 1 not, like you.
make prayer for relief to the pubic. such
tine article seemed to be in the Baltimore Sun
of the 18th INST This is the first time the
history Of the Government that outgoing
President has found it necessary TO advertise
through the newspapers his particular work
during his term of Office and his claims upon
his party and the country for approval. Be
tween the lines can be read the special plea for
reelection. 1 can point to another removal
than mine beyond parallel to go down through
history when 1 shall be forgotten. Before DO
so, let me refer. as proof of your ignorance of
public opinion, and not of your indifference TO
il. TO what you say in the Sun articles, of Mr.
Burnes of Missouri, one not guilty Of the
annoyance u which you were subjected by the
country members OF Congress introducing to
you their constituents. because he always pre-
sented his constituents at public receptions. II
Mr. Burnes were living he could tell you
another reason. which he often told to others
that b.. had been rudely treated by you, and
had no respect for you personally, and ascrlbed
the defeat OF the Democratic party TO your ig-
norance OF it. 1t was necessary that you
should make some such explanation for your
attack upon the ''wayback'' members but you
were unfortunate in the selection OF your wit
nesses, one of the ablest and noblest legislators
in Congress.
But TO the case of removal which must become
an important part of the history of the country.
was Oh the floor % the House of Representa-
tives during the time the votes of the Electoral
Cole were counted and heard the announce
ment Of the result-Benjamin Harrison was
duly elected President of the United States
but the words that burned deep through the
empty boxes OF the Administration could not
be officially added. though known to be true
in place of Grover Cleveland. removed BY
whom and for what cause removed: The
answer is now being made in every home. in
every business in the land, and history will in
scribe it upon all Its records.
Judge Eigerton ascribes Mr.. Cleveland's
defeat TO his disregard of the opinion and
advice of the most eminent men of his
party, and to his political ingratitude, and
continues:
You do not understand the Civil Service law.
T.
for those inside b1t for those outside. Your
theory OF inaction would defeat the law. You
have not dared 10 weed out incompeten:s.
Judge Edgerton criticises the conduct of
one of the other Commissioners, without
mentioning his name, and concludes as
follows:
lam justified in stating one single fact OF
mischievous distrust and wrong doing on The
part of Commissioner in charge Collee tor
Magone. of New York, addressed to ne a per
sonal letter, thus marked on the envelope, the
postage paid no indication that it coul6 be- off
cial on the inside. also marked personal, ard
this letter was opened and read By the Commits
sioner in charge and forwarded TO The other
Commissioner, then in Boston. and by him
swered tefore the letter was sent TO ne al my
home in the West Such features as this has
caused nearly all of the attacks upon me. and
/ doubt not most OF my opinions OF You.
Whether they had any influence is questionable.
tSignedl A. p. EDGERToN.
National Republican League.
BALTIMORE, Md. Feb. 20-Andrew B.
Humphrey, secretary of the Republican
League of the United States, arrived in
Baltimore yesterday. The National con-
yentiou of the League Clubs will convene