Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-02-28
EDeeRToNe IRE.
The Bounced Civil Services Com missioner
aIks Back to the President


aIks Back to the President
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.-Judge A. P. Ed
gerton. who was recently removed from
the Office of CiTil-Service Commissioners.
has written an open letter to the President
He says. among other things:
Twas indebted to you for the only appointive
Office ever held You now declare by your ac-
ton that you regret the appointment l. with
equal right. car say that 1 regret the accept
ance.
Mr.. President with due courtesy TO the high
office you hold allow me TO say that you are
very peculiar mzn, positive man-posinVely
wrong, or positively nght-and therefore an IN
safe man to trust; and that element in your
character believe led to your defeat.
Pope saws: 'SThe most positive men are the
most credalous since they most believe them
selves. and advise most with their fellow hatter-
ers and worst enemies"
Being one Of that kind OF positive men your
self, you have kept men oflike character around
you who are positive only in their malice and
conceit They fatter you and have the conce!t
that would magnify themselves and the nRlig.
nifty that would detract from Others
JUTenal says; 'rTh5re is nothing a man will
not believe in mis- OWE favor
You were credulous enough TO believe that
you were elected Pre- ,ident by the MugwumpS.
and therefore you permitted them tn maligu
your friends and to fiatter you into q policy
which led to your defeat. You are man who
would not permit your real friends 10 edmo nish
you with freedom and confidence and, as a re-
suit you have suffered for the want Of friends
and your wrecked and wretched greatness has
discovered that there is no true success in life
without the power and blessing OF friendship
You believed that your will and power TO en-
force il was above all powers, but the will of
the people expressed in a Constitutional way
has taught you that there was wiser and bet
ter way than that chosen by you.
You will be censured and condemned because
you put no trust IN your own party, but be-
lieved yourself to be better than your own
and greater than all parties. You have ascer-
tanned that the many were not made for the
one. II you can find many reasons for re-
moving me as the Democratic party, through
an indifference which was simply retaliatory,
had for removing you, shall be quite willing
20 remain with you in the gloom OF defeat.
The Judge proceeds to give his under
standing of the Civil-Service law, and
continues:
You caused 10 be placei upon the Congress
sional Record this announcement of q nomina-
ton by you to be confirmed by the United
States Senate: Hugh 8 Thompson, of South
Carolina, 10 the United States Civil Service
Commi sion, in the place of Alfred p. Edger-
ton, removed"
do not ask you to give any reason for this
act. know, and so do you, that the only one
you could give was that il was your will, for il
you can give any other your own previous
words would prove it to be untrue. Ia my in
tervew with you before the removal you ex-
prcssly disclaimed having any reasons for ii ex-
cept refusal to resign to enable you 10 make Mr.
Thompson's nomination.
Removr is a word OF far-reaching potency.
especially when record does not explain it 1
Ill
consciousness.
The people have the right TO know the truth
in all matters OF this kind, and for this reason
only do l address you. 1 can not, like you,
make prayer for relief to the public such as
the article seemed TO be in the Baltimore Sun
OF the 18th inst. This is the first time IN the
history Of the Government that an outgoing
President has found it necessary to advertise
through the newspapers his particular work
during his term OF Office and his claims upon
his party and the country for approval Be
tween the lines can be read the special plea for
reelection. 1 can point TO another removal
than mine beyond parallel to go down through
history when 1 shall be forgotten. Before do
so, let me refer, proof OF your ignorance OF
public opinion, and not Of your indifference to
il, to what you say in the Sun articles of Mr..
Burnes OF Missouri, one not guilty of the
annoyance I, which you were subjected by the
country members OF Congress introducing TO
you their constituents: because he always pre-
sented his constituents at public receptions II
Mr.. Burnes were living he could tell you
another reason which he often told to others,
that he had been rudely treated by you, and
had no respect for you personally, and ascrlbed
the defeat OF the Democratic party TO your ig
norance OF it. 1t was necessary that you
should make some such explanation for your
attack upon the 'wayback' members, but you
were unfortunate in the selection OF your wit
nesses, one of the ablest and noblest legislators
in Congress.
But to the case OF removal which must become
an important part of The history of the country.
was on the floor OF the House OF Representa-
tives during the time the votes of the Electoral
Cole were counted and heard the announce
ment OF the result-Benjamin Harrison was
duly elected President OF the United States
but the words that burned deep through the
empty boxes OF the Administration could not
be officially added though known 10 be true
in place Of Grover Cleyelapd removed b.
whom and for what cause removed? The
answer now being made in every home, in
every business in the land and history viii in
scribe il upon all Its records
Judge Edgerton ascribeS Mr.. Cleveland's
defeat to his disregard of the opinion and
advice of the most eminent men of his
party, and to his political ingratitude, and
continues:
You do not understand the Civil Service law,
Mr.. President. Its examinations are not made
for those inside but for those outside. Your
theory OF inacton would defeat the law. You
have not dared 10 weed out incompetents.
Judge Edgerton criticises the conduct of
one of the other Commissioners, without
mentioning his name, and concludes as
follows:
am justified in stating one single fact OF
miscellaneous distrust and wrong doing on The
part OF q Commissioner in charge Collector
Magone OF New York, addressed to me a per
sonal letter thus marked en- the envelope, The
postage paid. no indication that il could be- Off
cial on the inside, also marked personal, and
this letter was opened and read by the Commits
sioner in charge and forwarded 10 lie other
Commissioner, then in Boston, and by him an
swered efore the letter was sent to me at my
home in the West. Such features rs this has
caused nearly all OF the attacks upon me, and
i doubt not most of my opinions Of you.
Whether they had any influence is questionable.
[Signedl A. Z. EDGERIoN.
National Republican League.
BALTIMORE, Md. Feb. a0-Andrew 3.
Humphrey, secretary of the Republican
League OF the United States, arrived in
Baltimore yesterday. The National con-
~ap4iNu Of M To- h.