The morning news., 1889-04-23
Psralyzed by the Office Seekers.


The President took occasion to say day
or two ago that he did not think it was just
TO base an opinion Of his administration
upon what it has thus far accomplished
/ This remark indicates that he is conscious
that he has not yet done anything that is
/ worthy of attention, and that the unfavor-
/ able comments upon his failure to indicate
a policy with respect to any important mat
ter irritates him. When Ne asked a sus
pension of judgment he said that he had
been so overrun with office seekers that he
had had no time to give to questions
concerning which it is necessary to adopt a
clearly defined policy.
There is no doubt that the office-seekers
have given the President good deal OF
trouble. They have harassed him from
early morning until late at night, aud they
have been accompanied by men to whom
admittance could not very well be denied.
Senators and representatives have insisted
upon hearing for their friends, and have
not been satisfied when their requests have
been denied. When they have failed to get
what they wanted they have INDUCED in
threats against the administration.
The two senator's who have given the
President the most trouble are Mr.. Quay
and Mr.. Sherman. The former. because he
conducted the presidential campaign to
successful issue, thinks that he ought TO
have places for all his friends, and the lat
ter, because he is defeated presidential
candidate, and also because of his influence
in the Senate, insists that his friends shall
have whatever they want. The President
has apparently tried to satisfy both of them.
He has not succeeded, AMI the two senators
are now making faces at each other because
one of them got for friend Of his an office
which had been halfway promised to
friend OF the other.
Some of the senators aud representatives
have said within the last week or two that
they never before had been very much in
favor Of civil service reform, but now they
hoped the civil service rules would be ex-
tended to every Office below the grade Of
those of the very first Importance. They
are heartily tired of hunting places and
making appeals for men who, in many
instances, have no political influence, and
are little, if any. better than political dead
beats.
The President has been Ia office nearly
two months, and confesSes that he has had
to give all his time to the office seekers. 1t
will be several months more before he will
be able to give much attention to matters
pertaining to the administration of the
government Senators and representatives
are complaining that they have been forced
to drop their dignity and become beggars
for a share of the spoils. The administra-
tion has not been able to agree upon a
policy with regard to anything because the
dividing Of the spoils has occupied about all
its time Does not this condition of affairs
present strong argument in favor of civil
service reforma
This country is getting too big TO permit
of general change in the offices whenever
there is new administration. The con-
fession of President Harrison that no ad-
ministration can get through with the rush
of office seekers inside of six months, and
that therefore no opinion of the merits of a
new administration should be formed within
that time, is an admission that it is. And
| yet, although the President has filed hun
dreds of offices, the two civil service COM
missionerships are still vacant. Is the
President as sincere a man as he would like
the country to believes