Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-02-22
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
From the ValIey VirgInian.

FROM lnt NdiioJ 'Hb'-
1t is amusing to notice the pre-
tentions of President Cleveland In
the expiring days Of his power, III
regard 10 Civil Service reform
Elected bv the Mugwumps as the
apostle and exponent of that MOD
ern invention, he was loud in his
platitudes about the dignity ana
purity of the public service, before
and after he took the oath OF oihce,
and simulated a practical obser'
vance of 1t in one of the fist acts
of his administration. But the APP
pOintmenC of Pearson, postmaster
at New York, was merely blind
a little dust thrown into the eyes
of the altitudinOus reformers, 10
obscure the real purpose he had ID
view. When it came to the gen
eral policy of his administration,
the record manifested that as last
as the official axe could tall, on
went the head of an efficient Re
publican, and in came, in bis place,
a partIzan Democrat. When u
came TO Virginia there was one
broad sweep Of the guilotine blade,
and an indiscriminate slaughter oil
the Innocents. Under the dlrec.
ton and Inspiration OF a caOal OF
Democratic Congressman FROM the
State, a policy Of relentless pro,
scription was inaugurated, aud
where a Republican was found
holding a Federal position, high or
low, the revengelul knife OF these
reformers fell with unerring and
merciless force. 1t was not only
TO punish them for their political
opinions, but dastardly excuses
were invented, to reflect npOn them
as citizens and their social stand
ing. As an excuse for violating
unsought pledges to obscure the
civil service idea, "cause' was
manufactured in the moral stand
ing of Republican office'holders,
and the charge made that no lie.
publican in Virginia was qualified
either morally or mentally to dis
charge public duties. Under this
false and wicked plot, the official
axe fell fast and furious, until every
appointee of Republican admin
istration was slaughtered. Villas,
in the Postoflice Department, in.
yited spies and informers to invent
falls hoods and manufacture
charges, to constitute cause for
removal. Yet in no instance was
the fated officer furnished with a
copy of the allegations, upon which
his removal was presumed to be
predicated. 1t was wholesale
assassination of character, perpe-
trated in the dark and instigated
by the mendacious spirit OF the
bandit who stabs in the back from
ambush.
With this record tor four years
/ it is a travestry upon honesty and
fairness for Mr.. Cleveland to affect
regard for civil service reform in
the removal Of Mr.. EdgertOn from
the Civil Service Commission. 1t
was not because the decapltated
officer was not in sympathy with
the position of the administration,
that the order was issued for his
removal, and Mr.. Thompson, OF
South Carolina nominated to sue
coed him. 1t was for the reason
that MIR. EdgertOn hailed from a
State that did not vote for Cleye-
land. and is honored by the citi-
zenship OF the man that is to sue
coed Grover IN the Executive char.
indiana is hopelessly committed
against Cleveland now aud here
after while South Carolina, the
home of Thompson, may be safely
calculated to remain solid tor the
Democracy, so long as the law Is
no rule to regulate the ballot nor
primarily the criterion by which
political methods are Judged. Had
Thompson been citizen OF any
other section than the "solld
/ South he would never have been
favored by the recognition OF the
| President in the appointment re-
ceived, and had Edgerton been a
resident of safe Democratic State,
and within the charmed circle OF
the cotton belt, his dehnquencies
as a civil service reformer would
never have been discovered.
1t was the merest pretense OF a
virtue that instigated this last
evolvement of The inner conscious
ness of the President in this ex-
piring profession to cover a multi
tude of betrayals. The fierce
light that beats upon the civil ser
vice record of this first and last OF
Democratic administration since
1860, fully reveals the dupliclty
and deception which this dying re-
form administration exposes. 1t
will not be misunderstood by the
public, not by his party, for cotem-
poraneOus with it, the leading eX-
ponents of his policy III the Senate,
Senators German and Daniel
placed their feet square down upon
civil service reform and all the
rosy professions of its extinguished
Dr1oIo Jtocip1a