The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-06-17

The New Omcials Under the Democratic
IAdnllnist rss tlOn.

Administ ration.
The senate having adjourned, the
present is convenient occasion for re-
utivc branch of the government SO far
as it has been carried by Mr.. Cleve-
land. On the whole, it is deserving of
cordial praise. The men chosen for
cabinet Offices have met the expectation
of the country, which was extremely
confident, and interest attaches now
rather to the appointments under them
of their chief assistants. Most of these
have been strong.
In the state department Mr.. Josiah
Quincy, of Massachusetts, who has
charge Of the consular service. is rep
resentative of tho best type of citizen
ship-highly educated, active, acute
and conscientious. and Mr.. p. Fl. Stro-
bel, of New York, is a worthy coadju-
tor. The retention, which we assume
is to be continued, of Mr.. Adee, Sc
cures a particularly faithful and we'll
informed man for peculiar du-
ties, which new man could not
well perform. Among the appoint
ments to the diplomatic service
that of Mr.. Bayard rs ambassador to
Great Britain and Chancellor Runyon
Us minister to Germany are of n very
high order. MIR. EustiS. as ambassador
to France, is undoubtedly equal to tho
requirements of the post. though VIC
should have been glsd to see SO high an
honor g iven to one who in the past had
shown more sympathy with the pro-
gressive democracy of which Mr.. Cleve-
land is the representative. The promo
ton of Mr.. Edwin Dun to be minister
to Japan where he has been for TWEEN
ty years q most valuable official, is par
ticularly gratifying. The nomina ton
of Mr.. Porter, formerly assistant secre-
i-ir 70 hill
cures :, representative there of expert
ence and discrction-Svhich is some
thing of q change and desira BILE. On
the other diplomatic appointments
there is no special comment to be made.
None Of them, SO far as VIC are aware, is
particularly above or below the average
of the past
The Arcass1ry department has been
made very strong. Mr.. Carlisle has
taken hold of his work with the most
conscientious care and II determination
to enforce n high standard. In Mr.. w.
r. Curtis of New York and Mr.. c. S.
Hamlin Of Massachusetts as assistant
secretaries he has aides thoroughly in
sympathy with the ideas of the admin
istration and well fitted to apply them.
The choice of Mr.. Reeves as solicitor is
a direct and deserved promotion. while
that of Mr.. Morgan as treasurer,
though he is without experience in the
service. promises we'll. The appoint
ment of Mr.. Ecl<cls of Illinois as con-
troller of the currency is an expert
rent made sound principles, and
which ought to succeed.
In the interior department, the choice
of Mr.. Seymour of Connecticut as COM
missioner of patents certainly secures
an able and vigorous man, who has
given evidence of independence and
firmness of character. His assista Mt.
Mr.. 5. +. Fisher, is promoted on a rec
ord of excellent service. The most inn
portant branch of the interior depart
nent work is. of course, the pension
Office. For this the selection Of Judge
William Lochrcn of Minnesota as COM
missioner and the promotion of Mr.. II.
c. Bell Of Illinois to be deputy commits
sioner are very strong appointments in
deed. The work to DC done in the Office
is herculcan in moro than one sense,
since the Augcan stables were not 50
difficult to clean, and the new men have
a difficult but a most honorable task
before them.
In the post Office department. Mr.. Bis
sell and his assistant, Mr.. Maxwell.
have been largely engaged in making
changes in the fourth-claSs post offices.
Their activity has been greatly exagEer-
ated, as statistics covering the first
month of this administration and of MIR.
Harrison's will show. The number OF
changes in all were SIS for the present
administration, and 1,32S for its predc-
cessor, or 81 per cent. more four years
ago than now. The number of rcsigna-
tions was almost exactly the same-5oS
and SOB. The number of removals
under Harrison was S25. under Cleveland
only ID per cent. OF these $40, 90. or
about 25 per cent. had served their full
term. The remaining $50 were removals.
4 large part were made on reports of in
spectors. In all they form less than one
half Of 1 per cent. of the total number
of these offices. Undou btedly the total
changes have been greater than could
have been required under a properly
reEula ted service. and Mr.. Cleveland
and Mr.. BiSsell cannot help feeling the
brutal character of the system that de-
mands them. In our judgment they
could have been made more deliberately
with advantage, bat there are consider
ations to be weighed in this matter of
the force Of which the president should
be the Judge. It would be unjust in the
extreme to assume that he has not been
guided by sense of his duty under all
the conditions presented
We repeat the expression of our con-
viction that Mr.. Clevcland's work of re-
organization. so far as it has gone, is,
on the whole, deserving of cordial
praise. 1t Strengthens his administra-
ton greatly for the long and arduous
labors that await it.-Chicago Times.
The fifteen dollars per day which
Mai. Halford was allowed by Secretary
Foster while on his foreign excursion
may not have been intended much as
h compliment to the majors merit us