The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-04-11

i
mont and New Hampshire constitute one
pension district. Since these States were
placed in the new consolidated district
the Pension Agent has always been ap-
pointed from New Hampshire The del
pgation voted that the Pension Agent
ought to be selected from Vermont, and
decided to stand on that. A paper will
be prepared to be presented to the Presi-
dent or to the Secretary of the Interior
or to both, making thi. claim. If the
Administration shall concede this ap-
pointment to Vermont, then the delega-
ton will beside between the claims Of
the applicants for this position. The e
Bradford and Ex-Governor Pingree Of
Hartford. Each of the applicants is
said to have filed fully one-half cord Of
good papers. The delegation also decid-
ed that they would recommend that the
principle that incumbents she'll be per
mitted to hold their offices for four years
shall also apply to the Presidential Post
masters. This will continue many OF
the Presidential Postmasters in office in
that State for a very considerable
period.
The Collector at Burlington, Colonel
Smslley, will thus be allowed to retain
his Office until September of this year.
BE was not confirmed until some time
after that, owing to quite an animated
contest against him in the Senate by Mr..
Edmunds, who objected to the summary
removal of his predecessor, Gen. Wells,
on pretended charges. There were three
candidates for succession TO Col. Small
ley, among them Gen. w. W. Henry of
Burlington and ex Gov. Farnham of
Bradford. For the office of United
States District Attorney there were sew.
eral ca didates among them j. c. Noble
of ST. Adams, p. r. Kendall of Rutland,
Il, c. Bates of ST. Johnsbury and Kit
tredge Haskins of Brattleboro
The decision was reached by the dele
cation as TO the Inspectors of Customs,
and decision is held in allegiance until
the policy of the Administration shall
be learned with respect to these Offices.
1t appears that the Cleveland Admin
istratiOn revived an old statute .yhlch
had long been in disuse to the effect
which gave to a Collector of Customs
the authority to appoint special inspec-
tors to report to him. The function OF
these inspectors is substantially the
same as that of the more mouern special
agents of the Treasury, who are appoint
ed by the Tres sury Department, and
who are not confined to one district.
and who make their reports directly to
the S. cretary of the Treasury and not to
the Collector of any district. In Yer
mont there are now local inspectors who
report to the Collector and not directly
to the Secretary of the Treasury. TIL,
Secretary of the Treasury is said to he
concentrating the abolition of these To-
cal district inspectors and of appointing
only special agents for general service
to be assigned as occasion may require.
The action of this delegation has very
much more than local interest. The
Senator who presided at toe meeting of
this delegation. Mr. Edmunds, is the
Chairman of the Committee on the Ju-
dietary, to whose committee all of the
Presidents Judicial nominations are re-
ferred. Another member OF this dele.
cation, Mr.. Morrill,, is the Chairman of
the Committee on Finance, to whose
committee the nominations which relate
to the finances are referred. 1t remains
to be seen whether the decisions ut
which this delegation arrived are to be
the rule of conduct of the Administra
ton, or whether it shall prove in this
case, as it did in the case of the Illinois
delegation, that the delegation contain
ing these two important committee
Chairmen has agreed up"n a principle
which will be exceedingly distasteful to
the delegations of other States, viz /:
That incumbents of PREF idential offices
shall be permitted to hold their four full
years from the time they entered upon
the discharge of the duties of the offices,
without regard to the date when they
may have been confirmed. The adop
tion of this principle by President Har-
rison will greatly simplify the office
seeking problem, will relieve the pres
sure on the department, the White
House and the Congressman, and will
do much to empty the Washington no.
tells and boarding houses. The Vermont
delegation has unquestionably taken
notable step in advance in the recogni-
ton of one of the principles of civil ser
vice reform. The class of offices to
which they propose TO make this princi.
pie applicable includes some which
have been classed as appointments to
the personal staff Of the Executive. and
as therefore subject to immediate re-
moval without just complaint.
Editorially the Boston journal says /:
Vermont was one of the States in which
the spoils-seeking propensities Of the
Cleveland Administration were given
the fullest swing, and it might only be
natural to expect that the Vermont Re-
publicans would be anxious for an i'm
mediate and thorough "clean sweep" irr
retaliation. Therefore the decisions of
the Vermont Senators and Congressmen
not 10 press with unseemly haste for re-
movals but to permit the Democratic
incumbents TO serve out their full four
years terms undisturbed, is perhaps
worthy of all the greater credit. Not
only did MIR. Cleveland make a clean
sweep in Vermont, but many of the men
whom his Administration put into Office
turned out TO be the boldest and most
} offensive kind of partisans. The Demo-
cratic State conventions we're conspicu
ously engineered year after year by Fed
eral officeholders and men who were
drawing good salaries from the Govern
ment, on the understanding that they
we're to attend strictly to their public
duties, were seen in season and out Of
season devoting large part Of their en-.
ergies to the service of the Democratic
, machine. All this, OF course. cOnstitut
ed a potent prOvOcatiOn to revenge. and
IL is most satisfactory demonstration
of the sound sense OF the Vermont dele
cation in Congress that it has 1t has not
allowed itself TO be influenced to recon.
mend any other than a conservative and
dignified policy. The decision of Mpssrs.
Morrill,, EdmuDds, Grout and Stewart ia
certain to have no little influences on the
action OF Representatives of other States
for the delegation is held N deservedly
high esteem for Its excellent qualities OF
, Judgement. We are confident that the
: Republican rank and file in Vermont
I will readily recognize the prudence Of
the agreement into which the Senators
and Representatives have entered, and
| will takb care nbL Ia alnbaFTaaa thhnn he