The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-07-26

How ulaiue's shadow Has Violated He
s~oiesnniy-N Made Pledges
The St. Louis Civil Service Reform
Association numbers among its officers
such prominent Republicans as
Messrs. John Il. Henderson. Henry
Hitchcock and Emil Prcetorius. We
congratulate these gentlemen on tho
high sense OF duty which has led the
association 10 express its disapproval
OF tho Harrison Administration. The
statistics collated BY tho association
and published in the annual report OF
its executive committee show that
while the average rate OF changes In the
fourth-class ~post-oiices was only 4 per
cent. greater under Cleveland than
under Arthur. tho Harrison Admins
tration Is making changes at tho rate
OF rs per cent. a wear. or from 1000 10
1.6Oo n week. The highest rate OF
changes heretofore in any single yea.
rs the association shows. ''was Ia the
year ending June 80. 1886. when 1t
was SO! per emit: but the average
rate under Cleveland was p i-3 per
cent; under Arthur. Is per cont
under Hayes. IL per cent; under
Grants second administration. 10 per
cent. under Grants first. Isl per
cent. and in the first year Of Grants
about 25 per cent
1t must be remembered in consider
ing the figures hat Mr.. Cleveland
found tho service entirely partisan
There were no Democrats in IL. yet on
averaging tho changes made during
his four years. it appears that there
is only a small percentage OF differ
encc between the average OF changes
made BY him in order to restore the
equilibrium in tho service and he
average made by Republican Presi-
dents in arranging their administers
ton machines. While this COMPARE
son is highly creditab'e to Mr..
Cleveland. il il a strong condemna-
tion OF Mr.. Harrison. who in a riot
OF spoils bossism displaced ll.oO0
fourth-class postmasters from March4
to June i6.
.'Nho then il responsible for this
state OF affairsy' asks the association.
and in answering its own question it
says:
1t may DO SAID that M. Harrison can not
have personal knowledge OF all the changes IN
the vast number OF ONCE, under the Govern
ment. aud that he can not be held accountable
for every act OF his subordinates. And this IS
true. Yet there IL . homciy fashion among
the American people Of holding the President
respons bls for the general conduct OF the
alministrato on 10 all us departments. and OF
looking 20 him as the authoritative head 20
correct all abuses. In this spirit we may we'll
ask OF The President that he PUT q check upon
this headsman In his work OF ofacinl cccapita-
ton. aud that his subordinates may be given TO
understand. as he himself has formally de-
clared. that ''oniy the interests OF the iubiic
service should suggest removals from Office
ana that. in appointments 70 every grade and
department. ntness and not party service
should he the essential and discriminate g test.
and fidelity and efficiency The only sure tenure
OF ONCE.
We arc confident that General Hem
dcrson will fully agree with US when we
assert that the President is rightly to
be held responsible for this demora.i-
xa;ion. General Henderson. in the
early days Of the Administration. went
to the White House and demonstrated
against the Presidents policy Of dele
eating TO local bosses the Executive
authority TO select public servants I'M
der the different departments. The
remonstrance was useless. President
Harrison has a deputy in every Con-
grcssional district in the country. and
all these deputies are actively coop
Grating with him in using the Offices
in an attempt to control State politics
from the District OF Columbia.
II the Administration has done thia
while IL was new in power and whilr
the pledges II had made we're still
fresh. what can General Henderson or
any other friend OF good government
and efficient service expect Of II. now
that all its pledges have been indecent
~ violated and the worst combination
OF bosses effected that the world eve
saw?-St. Louis Republic.