The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-02-19
IN THE GLOOM OF DEFEAT.
Edgerton willing to Retire as He VIII
Have Company.
The President Altogether Too Posi-.
tive to be a Safe Man.
PI.hy Sentences from a Letter by the
ex-commissioner.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1s.--Judge A. p. Ed.
gerton, recently removed from the Office of
civil service commissioner, has written Pres
ident Cleveland long open letter in which
he charges the President with bad faith in
making his removal without giving sufficient
reason for it. In this connection the letter
says: "Mr. President, with due courtesy to
the high Office you hold, allow me to say you
sre very peculiar man, positive man, pos
itively wrong or positively right, and there
fore, an unsafe man to trust. and that ele-
ment in your character believe led to your
defeat
Judge Edgerton states he has removed to
please the Mugwumps and toImake room for
Hugh S. Thompson Of South Carolina. The
letter continues: "If you can find as many
reasons for removing me as the Democratic
party through indifference which was simply
retaliatory had for removing you. / shall be
quite willing to remain with you in the
gloom Of defeat"
Speaking of the civil service law Judge
Edgerton says: 'In the older nations, the
adoption of similar laws has only been
effected after great lapse Of time through
experience and patient deliberation. Any
dttCuBb busCApduu ~ III tulo COuutIy oU dS 10
make 1t pervade all departments of the
government and to make large approprias
tions for the purpose are calculated to make
1t more odious, If not to defeat 1t entirely"
How can you say you found the depart
Hents filed with incompetents. yet retain
them all In office during your administra-
ton? Did you not know that nearly three
fourths Of all the persons now in office In the
departmental service were there In 1882
The State Of Maine has In the treasury de.
partment 81 clerks not one of whom PASSED
a civil service examination. All found per-
manent Judgement through favoritism and
were there.when you were inaugurated in
1885. They are yet in Office except B. III. Kinds
who dropped out in the spring of 1888.
These sixty-one clerks, all Republicans. re-
ever cause an investigation of the 81 clerks
to ascertain If there were any incompetent
among them? You have often been solicit
ed and have refused to do so. How many
from Maine are in other departments? ? You
never have Inquired. In all the depart
Democrats from Maine. This is about the
relative condition of things in the other de-
partments.
4 Days DoIngs.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1S.-In the Senate to-
day Mr.. Coke continued his interminable
harangue on the question of the Texas out
RACES.
The Republicans in the House today
refused to vote on the question of consider
ing the California election case leaving the
House without a quorum. In reply to
Democratic suggestion that the Republicans
were willing enough to vote on the last
similar case, Mr.. Reed of Maine, suggested
that last week the Republicans had some
confidence In this tribunal and that conf
dence had been lost.
The sundry civil bill as reported in the
Senate make an additional appropriation
Of ST., 900 for fish hatcheries In Maine.
The court of claims has given judgment
for 81, ,002, 527 in favor of the Central Pacific
Railroad Company in its suit against the
United States for Withholding dividends.
The fear of family quarrel induced the
Democrats In the House to postpone the
caucus called for tonight.
The Springer Oklahoma bill will be favor
ably reported in the Senate, but Mr.. Butler
will prepare substitute which will also be
presented authorizing negotiations with the
Indians for the extinguishment of the titles
preparatory to the organization of the terri
tory.