The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-04-08


Our friends, the mugwumps, have set up the
action Of the President in regard to the New
York post Office, as test Of his fidelity to
civil service reform. They have been de-
claring for some weeks past that failure to
reappoint POSTMASTER Pearson would be
proof conclusive that the President had sur
rendered to the spoilsmen, and now that Mr.
Pearson has not been reappointed they will
all, undoubtedly, chorus In unison that the
President has turned his back on civil SER
vice reform. If this test be fair one then
the failure of the President to meet it is
good ground for condemnation. But that
admits of very serious doubt. The mug
wump claim is that Mr.. Pearson was reap
pointed four years ago by President Cleye-
land against the protest of his party, on the
ground of his fitness alone, and that for
Republican President to fail to reappoint
him is proof that the latter is not inclined to
live up to civil service reform law to the ex-
tent of his Democratic predecessor. But
this mugwump picture of Mr.. Cleyeland's
act will not stand investigation. About the
same time that Mr.. Cleveland appointed Mr..
Pearson be also appointed Eugene Higgins,
whom civil service reformers all over the
country protested against. Had Mr.. Cleve-
lands appointment of Pearson keen the out
growth of desire to live up to the spirit of
civil service reform it is impossible that he
could have appointed higgins at about the
same time. The truth about Parsons ap-
pointment is that he was selected because
one wing of the party demanded him. Hig-
gins's appointment was dictated by similar
consideration, only in his case the pres
sure came from a different wing of the party.
Cleveland owed his election quite as
much to the Mugwumps as to the
Democrats. IL they did not furnish
as many votes they supplied more brains
and quite as much money. Pearson's ap-
pointment was in part payment of this debt,
and civil service reform figured in it only be-
cause the party or faction that demanded it
professed to be actuated in asking it simply
by desire to further that reform.
Four years have rolled round and now the
same faction ask Republican President to
do for them what Cleveland had done. Out
side Of this it does not appear that there was
any great demand for Pearson's reappoint-
mont. More people asked the
appointment of somebody else than
demanded his. Having supported
Mr.. Cleveland during the campaign, and
done all in their power to defeat Mr. Har
rison and the Republican party the Demo
cratic Mugwumps come forward and de
mand that a certain man Of their selection
shall be appointed postmaster of New York
and to make their demand more potent they
insist that only by acceding to it can Mr.
Harrison live up to his civil service reform
professions. Practically the test which they
set up is the acceptance by the appointing
power of the selection of its bitterest adver-
saries. If the appointing power fails to
meet this test then they declare that it is
guilty of treachery to civil service reform.
This test is an unfair one. When it is shown
that President Harrison has appointed an
unfit man at the demand of the spoilsmen
then he will be convicted of turning his
back on civil service reform. But refusal
to appoint man urged by his political enc.
mics, though he may be fit, in no wise i'm.
peaches his devotion to our belief in that re.
form.