The Washington bee., 1890-01-11
HIS HEAD is LEVEL.
WHY REMOVALS HAVE NOT BEEN
MADE. SENATOR CHANDLER WRITES
A LETTER.

recent issue you alluded to com
plants made IN New Hamshir'
that there is not sufficient rapidity
in removing Democratic oficer'
and supplying their places will
Republicans, and you said in effect
that the reason was the dilatOri
ness of the Congressional delega
ton, the President being more
ready to make appointments thar
the delegation to make recommen
dations. This view is entirely er
roneons. There was a delay, in
deed. in appointing the collector o.
internal revenue, owing to ar
equal division in the delegation OIL
the question who should be the
new appointee. In what other
case has there been any delay
Representatives Mute and Moore
have promptly decided all ques
| tlons properly submitted to them
concerning fourth-cla>s postmaster
ships. There is no case of an un>
expired commission in any New
Hampshire Office which has not beer
acted upon. The commissions OF
the following Democratic appOin
tees have not yet expired: Mr.
Cochrane, pension agent, Mr..
Kent, naval officer; Mr.. Frink, dis
trict attorney; Mr.. Barker, mar
shall; Mr.. Hanscom, collector OF
customs at Portsmouth and there
are several pOstmasters in the
larger places whose commissions
have not terminated. In all cases
where commissions are soon to.
expire, the delegation is preparing
to make recommendations, and will
endeavOr to agree instead of diSa
greeing, as On the cOllectOrship of
internal revenue. In no case has
the delegation failed to make a
recommendation where it seemed
probable that the President would
make an appointment. 1t has,
however, been understood that the
President did not wish to make re.
movals prior to The expiration Of
terms. 1t has not, as yet, been
deemed by the delegation becom.
ing or eXpedlent to endeavOr TO
force him to do so.
1t is easy for eager expectants
and newspaper writer's to say
Disregard the civil service law
aud the announced civil service
policy of the President" but those
who are charged with reponsibili-
tiaN must hn little conservative.
There need be no doubt about
my own views. AS a rule, where a
DemocraC has held Office four years,
l think h3 should be removed and
g Republican appointed, although
his commission has not expired.
Even where he has not held for
four years, there may be special
reasons upon which a change may
be made, | certainly think that no
time of four years expressed IN
commissions should operate to
give Cleveland'S appOintees posses
sion Of their offices for FIVE. SIX,
seven, or erght years, when Cleve
land himself was dispensed with at
the end of four years.
While these, however, are nv
views, no one can say that they are
those of the President. He hesi.
tateS about removing officers who
are holding under four year COM
missions, He has made remOv-
ais in a few such cases; he may in
others; bat he is not willing to do
so, except for special causes, till
the incumbent has held the office
four years. He does not like to
make removals, even where tue in.
cumbent has held for four wears
but his commission is shortly to
expire. | have not felt at liberty
to crowd or besiege him to make
him overcome his hesitancy and to
violate his convictions. The ques.
ton, what is the wisest general
policy and what exceptions shall be
made in special cases, should be
decided by the President in con-
sultation with leading Republicans
aud not with all such Republicans
in Senate and House committed in
favor of universal removals abso-
lutely without regard to the period
for which the Democratic officials
have held their places, or to their
terms of service expressed in their
commissions.
While the New Hampshire dele
CATION will proceed as rapidly as
possible to secure for the Republi-
cans of the State all the offices to
which they are fairly entitled, the
delegation does not believe that
mere delay will seriously iniure the
Republican party, as some our
friends write us 1t will. There are
100000 Republican voters in the
country, and about 100000 office-
holders. In New Hamp; hire there
are 10000 such voters and perhaps
500 officials. The great mass of
Republican voters are inspired by
l.