Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-19

The same pressure is applied to President
Harrison to cause him to break his pledges in
respect to civil service reform and to treat all
The offices as political spoils, as that to which
President Cleveland was subjected, and to
which In slight degree he yielded The re-
publican platform of 1883 repeats its pledge of
lisa that the reform Of the civil service 'au-
spiciously begun under the republican admin
istration" shall be completed by the further
extension Of the system, and, taunting Mr.
Cleveland with breach of his promises
In respect to the reform, 1t declares
that I'VE will not fail to keep our pledges
because their candidate has broken
his" Mr.. Harrison, in his acceptance OF the
presidential nomination and in his inaugural
address, is equally explicit. He favors lib
eral Interpretation and vigorous enforcement
OF the existing law, and an extension of the
reform. He expresses the opinion that all ap-
pointments under the law should be absolutely
free from partisan considerations and infu-
ence, and that only the interest Of the public
service should suggest removals 1t is now
commended by the advocates of the spois sys-
tom that these pledges are merely insincere
Rnte-election promises, made only to be broken,
and that the party which obtained control Of
national affairs partly by reason Of this pre-
tsnce should now evade and as soon as possible
abolish entirely the application of system
which it has promised to favor and extend.
The republican party cannot afford to follow
the dishonorable course suggested to it. The
opinion that the government clerkships with
their routine duties should no longer be the
spoils of political warfare, that general aud
special intelligence and not merely political
views and services should determine the ques-
ton Of employment by the government, and
that faithful performance of the specific duties
for which he is employed should give clerk
reasonably certain tenure of office, has taken
firm hold upon the public mind. If absurdi-
ties or inconsistencies are developed in the
methods employed to ascertain the relative in
tollgence aid merits of applicants for office,
or for retention or promotion in Office, the
methods must be improved. II injustice is in
ficted through fraudulent evasions or perver-
sions or open defiance of the law by particular
persons in particular localities, the remedy is
not to abolish the law but to punish those who
violate itandto secure its universal enforcement
The spoiis system can never again be restored
to its former position in the American republic
I his nation will not initiate the retiring crab
and progress backwards. Under a system by
"AANA Ah0SAAi5cuCc ubucSo, dsCtr-
tanned by sensible methods, are alone consid-
cred In selecting and retaining the mass of
government employees, the United States will
secure the greatest return for the money which
it pays in salaries; the responsible officers of
the administration will be more and more
relieved from the direct pressure Of office
Seekers, and be enabled to perform some of
the duties of their positions higher than the
mere peddling of Offices; a source of democrat
ization and corruption in national politics will
be gradually removed; and the employees of
the government, relieved of the harassing
uncertainty concerning tenure of Office which
under the old system no intelligence or fitness
or industry could avoid, will be more efficient
workmen and less unenviable body Of citizens.
To no other community are the maintenance
development and improvement of the present
civil service system of greater local importance
than to Washington. Under the merit system
finally established and fully developed in its
application, the thousands of clerks at the
capital, selected and retained on account of in
telligence and fitness, will form a valuable ele-
ment in the city's permanent population, buy
ing and improving property, building up de-
Eghtful homes to render the capital addition
ally attractive. Under the spoils system, the
clerks will be transients, unsettled wanderers.
impaired in business efficiency by the condi-
tons on which they have secured Office and by
the uncertainty of retaining it, forming no
permanent ties in and comforting no perma-
nent benefits upon the city in which they
enjoy for time political plumber. No severer
blow could be given to District interests than
the disaster of the re-establishment of the spells
system, and no other community, with its own
welfare In view, will more heartily condemn
all efforts to induce the party in power,
whether republican or democratic, to dishonor
itself by violating its civil-service reform
pledges.