Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-11
Declined to Resign.
A Notable Removal by Presi.
dent Cleveland.
EDGERToN NO LONGER in OFFICE.

The President Asks for His Resignation,
and Not Obtaining 1t Summsrily Bounces
the Indiana Civil Service Commissioner
What the Judge Says About It-"Biily"
Mason Lets Loose on south Carolina
The DOings in Congress.
WASHINGTON CITY, Feb. 1l.--Judge A P,
Edgerton one of the civil service commits
sioners, says he called at the White House
Friday, and while he was there the president
asked him for his resignation, as he desired
to appoint Hugh S. Thompson, of South
Carolina to the position. Mr.. Edgerton said
he had received no intimation before his
call on the president that his official head
was wanted for the executive basket The
president said that there was little hope of
securing the place for Mr. Thompson as long
as there was no suitable vacancy on the CON-
mission. Mr. Edgerton, however, promptly
declined to resign, holding that his resigna
ton would not be polite, creditable to him
self, nor calculated to help any other person
eliminating that Mr. Thompson could not be
confirmed if nominated OF course the
president might exercise his prerogative if
he saw fit. The president did see fit, and
when Edgerton reached his office Saturday
he found the following letter awaiting him:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON CITY
Feb s.-DEAR SIR You are hereby removed
from the office of United States civil service
commissioner GROVER CLEVELAND
Hon. A. +. Edgerton.
Mr.. Edgerton is indignant at this summary
proceeding aud wants everybody to know it,
He said Saturday night: "The president sent
for me and after beating about the bush
finally asked for my resignation. | asked
him the reason. He said he wanted to give
the place to Thompson, l asked him if that
was the only reason, and he replied that it
was. then declined to resign, as | said |
would not be party to any such dirty
piece of business. He replied that he would
be obliged to remove me, and said all right,
go ahead. The atmosphere becoming very
frigid babe him good day"
slave there been any differences between
you and the presidents"
"Oh, yes; lots of them The trouble is that
he is mugwump-the chief of them, while /
am Democrat, rock-ribbed"
do you think civil service reform is a
fraud"
A"Oh, rs carried out it has been the biggest
kind OF a fraud. Its friends, or some of
them, meant well, but then hell is paved with
good intentions"
He intends to write letter to the pres-
dent in a day or two acknowledging the re-
ceipt of his notice of removal and perhaps
adding an expression of his opinion upon the
presidents course in the matter.
When the news of Mr.. Edgerton's removal
was communicated TO Commissioner Lyman,
that officer was surprised, and found himself
in predicament as he was by no means sat
isfied that he had authority, single-handed, to
discharge the formal duties of the civil serv-
ice commission As he can not act as a
board by himself, he practically has no func-
tons, and will have none till Mr. Edgerton's
successor is confirmed All he can do is to
carry out old orders of the board ksss
1IThere are now two vacancies on the com
mission, Mr. Oberly's place having never been
filled 1t is thought that the president had
concluded that an appointment In Mr.. Edger-
toms place might be confirmed by the senate,
as 1t would leave vacancy to be filled by
Mr.. Harrison. Under the law one member
of the commission must be Democrat Mr.
Edgerton has been represented as being I'M
able to agree with his colleagues He has
during the past six months been away from
his Office much of the time.
The president sent Thompson's nomination
to the commiSsionership to the senate Satur-