The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-21


We are in receipt of circular of the
Civil Service Reform League, asking for
publicity of its views and policy. Among
its Democratic signers is the name of
Everett p Wheeler, New York lawyer,
who signed an address advocating the
election of the Tammany ticket One
good deed il worth q thousand years of
prayer, and one evil deed outweighs a
thousand pronunciamentos in favor of civil
service reform. Mr. Wheeler had chance
to help upset Tammany, the most cor
rupt political organization in the civilized
world, and ne spurned his opportunity.
Mr.. Cleveland, the pet candidate of the
Democratic and Mugwump civil service
reformers, is another reformer for
revenue only. A year ago Mr.. Cleve-
land and his clan denounced Tam
many hall as the worst, most ineffi-
Gent and most corrupt government that
ever cursed great city. Tammany won,
and today Cleveland, Fairchild, Wheeler
d Co. are throwing up their hats for its
triumph, although its chiefs and Office
holding executive is identical with the
municipal government these reformers
cursed a year ago. With the exception of
the New YORK E'Veaiag Post and Hdrper's
Heekty, the entire "ciyil service reform"
faction, whether of Mugwump or Demo-
cratic antecedents, supported Tammany
Hall. Against such fragrant treason TO
principle as this, of what consequence is
Hvr Of 81
ice reform as represented by compet-
tive examinations and permanent
tenure of Office. 1t is the SHE'LL
not the kernel of reform. Surely
neither Mr.. Cleveland nor any of
his clan will pretend that Tammany Hall
pays any respect to their pet hobby
of government by bureaucracy. To pass
from the treason of the professional civil
service reformer to the true spirit. as sepa-
rated from the superficial speech, of their
cause, let US remember that this civil SER
vice law, enacted by Republican con-
gress, approved by a Republican president,
was absolutely worthless when admins
trated by that civil service reform guack
and political fakir, President Cleveland.
Washington, who did not pretend to be-
lieve in government by bureaucracy, Gre
ated by competitive examinations, whose
ultimate means a permanent class
of petty officeholders for life, made
only nine removals from Office
in eight years; John Adams but nine,
Jefferson but thirty-nine, Madison and
Monroe but fourteen and John Quincy
Adams but two. Cleveland, while pre-
tending to be civil service reformer,
gradually removed nearly all the Repub-
licans he found in office and replaced
them with Democrats. Under President
Arthur's administration of the law official
places were given to 1000 Democrats.
Cleveland by the Sth of May, 1885, had
removed 1868 Republicans, and on Feb
ruary 10, 1886, the judiciary committee.
speaking by the voice of Senator Ed
munds, announced that 643 persons had
been suspended from Office without being
given any opportunity 'to know the sub
stance of their alleged misdoings in order
that they may either admit their guilt, or
denying 1t, explain their conduct, or show
that the accusations against them were
selfish and wicked preteXts, and set
up for the mere purpose of obtaining their
suspension and ultimate dismissal from
office in order that others less capable and
worthy might at once receive the honors
and emoluments of their places" And
this Cleveland was elected as n civil service
Ieformer, was the professional civil service
reformer's candidate for reelection in lSSS,
and is today the candidate of the profess
sional civil service reformers for third
nomination in 1892. In practice the civil
service reform league favors for president
in 1892 Cleveland who, with Everett p.
| Wheeler, ex-Secretary Farchild and the
| New York Times, worked day and night
| for the triumph Of Tammany, which is the
incarnation of civil service deformity and
| corruption. Really. the annual circular of
| Mr. Everett p Wheeler's civil service re-
form league reads like screed
of Satan rebuking sin. Both parties
| contain thousands of men who perceive
| aud lament the evils attendant upon the
".poils system. which means public Office
| the reward Of party service, and places in
| theory at least upon the president and his
secretaries the responsible duty OF filing
hundreds Of thousands of petty Offices.
| But given an administration Of honest
| purpose and this "sroils system" is pre-
ferable TO the bureaucratic system, under
which the professional civil service re-
| formers would make bad matter worse.
Under an administration OF dishonest pur-
pose. like that Of Cleveland, the spirit Of
the new law vas hypocriticaIly perverted
10 the end Of the most INSCRIPTIONS de-
signs and desires Of the advocates
of the spells system. On the
plan OF the civil service reformers
the un-American method Of fixed
tenure by competitive examination and ap-
pointment by irresponsible local factions.
would replace the method Of political APP
pointmeat for party service. Thus they
woUid fasten upon the country great
| army Of permanent officials. This method
is oat OF harmony with our whole system.
Every other officer is elected and for Q
specified term. That mos; democratic Of
the great religious denominations, the
Methodist church. has deliberately adopted
the principle Of rotation in Office. This
so-cal.ed civil service reform is an IN
American tendency which works away
from instead % 70 republicsnism. In
England and Germany, where the law re-
coEnizes class distinctions Of arls-