Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1889-02-22
General Harrison and Civil Service

VIII General Harrison stand By tn
Civil Service? Tbi. i. n question ju.
now anxiously asked by thousands n
American citizens. Our opinion Il tina
Ie will strictly conform 10 NIL the pledge
made by himself AMI the political organ
naiion which By their votes elevated bin
70 the position Of Chief Magistrate Of III,
Nation Distinctly and clearly was the
Civil Service Law endorsed. in the Ciiea
90 platform, end strong and vigorous
was the Remuneration against the admin
i,tra,ion, now about to close, for its fail
are to enforce that law. which owing to
their pledges made to do 50 in Mr.
flcycland's first letter Of acceptance led
thousands Of Nugwmups in the close
and doubtful State Of New York to cast
their ballots for him That class Of in
dividuals, hacked mp by those IN office
appointed since Clcvrland's administra-
tinn. shake their heads over the prospect
~ Civil Service Reform under President
Harrison. To hear them il could be
supposed that tbs outgoing administra-
ton had invented the reform and had
devoted all its energies to its successful
introduction, and that the incoming adj
ninlstration was grossly ignorant Of
Civil Service Reform and hostile TO it.
To any one familiar with the law this is
amusing enough. Mr. Harrison was a
member Of the Senate when the law was
enacted and voted for it, and he heartily
and earnestly believes in its enforcement
In speech made in the Senate three
years ago he arraigned President Clcye-
land in this rather lively fashion.
THE President of the United States
repeatedly put himself under pI dye, not
simply in his public ntteranccs. but in
private letters, voluntarily written. in
favor of such policy 1t went through
NIL the land to those Republicans in Office
who had fragment. small or large, of
81 legal term to serve that If .hey dis.
charged their duty faithfully and honest
" they would not be disturbed in serv-
ing out the remainder Of their terms. -
IT has turned ont that it was deceptive
feast to which these gentlemen were in
vited 1t was almost as full of decep-
ron and as fatal 10 its results as some Of |
those teasts of old story to which men
we're invited fer purpose of assassina-
ion"
In his letter Of acceptance he said
only the interests oftbe public service
'uggest removals from office" Every
'iterance of his, public, and private, are
y the effect. that the Civil Service law
sill he rigidly enforced under his ad-
ninistrati0n. 1t il related OF him that
Y ! ". cnnamittee -raon. while Senator,
n discussion with another Senator in
which he warmly advocated Civil Ser
rice Reform. he said "Do you know
hat my grandfather was the original
Fivil Service Reformer in this couutry2
II you do not know that you will find on
examination Of the records that such was
he fact" And he then quoted some of
VIM. Henry Harrison's writing on the
subject which distinctly favored the
heory of the general good in making re-
n ROYALS and not merely party expedency.
From all the knowledge we have Of the
character of General Harrison our con-
illusions are that he will allow ali Dem
ocrats to remain in Office until the expi-
ration of their terms, excepting, of
course, in cases where good aud sufh-
sient reasons exist for making immediate
changes All the doleful propheses
which are now being made by Mug
wumps, and Democratic officials who
fear for their heads, will not be fulfilled
And many eager party friends of the in
coming administration will be kept from /
the good things for time. But it must
Ne remembered that the law By which
they may be excluded from public pap,
was enacted by Republicans in spite Of
the opposition Of the mass of Democrats
m both houses, and that its enforcement
was successfully inaugurated under
Republican adminshati All that
Mr.. Cleveland aud his administration /
have succeeded in doing has been to IN
serrapt the proper progress of the reform
and cmbarrass its future. But we do
HnA believe that General Harrison will
allow this to detar him from advancing
l'Y every means IN his power an import
hat movement which he had a share in
instltuhng and to which the Republican
party is pledged The Civil Service
and every other law found on the statute
books will be honestly aud rigidly en-
forced so long as they remain the laws
vi the land The pure, high-mlnded,
honorable soldier, and statesmen. who.
on the 4th March will take the oath of
otfce as Chief Magistrate of the Nation,
will not, for the sake of party expedieu-
cy, be induced to violate that oath.