Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-06-06
New Series, Vol. 90, No %.
ABOUT CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.


New York Herald
Some days ago we remarked that the
civil service reformerS, while constantly
groaning about the rush of office seek
erS, had never adyocat ID the ready cure
for this evil-publicity "for all the steps
in the solicitation of Office" HGTper'S
Weekly replies that the Herald lis mis-
taken in supposing that the reform as
sociations have not favored publicity.
They have distinctly and persistently
| demanded that the reasons for removal
should he stated and placed on file for
public inspection" That is as relavant
/ as though, if a man were asked to leave
the door open, he should reply, 'YO Ou are
mistaken. | always shut it when | go
out"
But the reply shows precisely why
the civil service refOrmers so entirely
fail-as Mr.. Curtis in his address con-
fessed-to make any real headway
with the public. What they aim at is
the creation of permanent civil service.
They want to make any subordinate in
dependent of the President by forcing
the latter to give reasons for removing
him. But the power of summary re-
moval of his subOrdidates, with or with
out reason, is one of the most important
and vital to the efficiency and honesty
of the Administration. The possession
of that power makes the President di-
rectly and Justly responsible to the peo
pie. To impair it or take it away from
him, as the civil service reformers de-
sire, would be to lessen or eXtinguiSh
this responsibility, and introduce cOnfu-
sion, decentralization and corruption into
the public service. 1t would totally dis
able the President from fulfilling his
oath to protect and preserve the consti-
tuition and faithfully execute the laws,
because it would deprive him of the
control of those on whom he must de-
pend to do the work.
To require that recommendations for
Office shall be public and not secret, is
one thing; to demand that the President
shall remove no subordinate without
public reason given, is very different
thing.
The civil service refOrmers are just
now raising an outcry because the Pres
ident has appointed some of his relations
to office. "NepOtism" has always been
odious, but we are not sure that it is
quite decent for Scme civil service re-
formers to denounce it. How many of
the members of the League have got
brothers or cousins or other family lame
ducks ''pensioned on the publlc?' to use
the common phrase. We do not know,
but we remember seeing several years
ago list of the Burt family, with the
offices they held, which showed that that
very eminent civil service reformer, Mr..
Silas Burt, was not among those who
turn cold shoulder to the family atfec-
tiOns.
1t is made a crime, also, that Mr..
Harrison appoints personal friends.-
Well, perhaps he is more sure of the
honesty and capacity of personal friends
than of persons he does not know. \
President has great RESPONSIBILITIES. 1t
is very natural, and in our Judgment not
at all improper, that he should, in select
ing men for office, turn to friends whom
he has known intimately and can trust.
He is responsible for them.
Then we observe great hullabaloo
about the prOdigiOus number of Post
masters removed by Mr.. Clarkson. WEI
suppose he is not turning out Republi-
cans. And if he is removing Democrats,
pray how did such prodigiOus number
of them get in? Mr.. Cleveland was in
office only four years. His was a civil
service reform Administration. Is it
possible that he or his Postmaster Gen
eral removed a prOdigious number of
Republicans and pat in the Democrats
whose heads are now getting cut off, to
the distress of the bowling derviSheS of
civil service reform?
The good cause of civil service reform
gets its constant black eye from the re-
formers themselves. The general pub
lie is not blind, and it sees so much
diSingenuouSness, so much bitter parti-
sanship, so little practical sense among
the reformers that it thinks less of the
reform than that deserves. Therefore it
is that this reform has gone backward,
as Mr. Curtis confessed it had.
Mr.. Harrison is sure to make some !
mistakes in his appointments; every |
President does. He is giving more
time to Office seekers than we wish he |
wonld, but not more than Mr.. Cleveland |
gave to the same class. He is getting
abused by the office seeking class and by
the civil service reformers just as Cleve-
land was, one shouting that he is too slow
and the other that he is too fast. But
mere fly dirt criticism, such as the com
bined forces of the politicians and re-
formers are administering in large doses,
does not hurt President with the peo
pie. Mr.. Harrison was elected on plat
form of protection, subsidies, increased
pensions, and so far as we can see he IS
to office men who with him
believe in the Platforms when he
made Mr.. Porter Superintendent of the
Census. In that he is honestly carrying
out the decision of the country as ex
pressed in the election. If ne appoints
dishonest or incapable men we shall all
soon find it out, and it will be the worse
for him.
PRESERVING FENCE POSTS.
Waldo F. Brown suggests in Farmers
Rerie,r that the end posts, which must