The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-05-19
The Pernicious Inactivity OF ONCE
holders.

ho1ucEb
President CL~HvEIASp's bulletin OF July
II. 1885. though addressed particularly to
the heads OF departments. instructed all
his associates In the Federal service that
they wero to abstain from attempting TO
control political movements In their 10
oalities." It further defined as follows the
duties Of persons drawing pay from the
Federal Treasury:
-omesho,dsr are neither d,sfrsnchised nor fnrbid.
asn she exercise of political privileges but their priv.
iieres are not enlarged, nor 10 their duty TO the party
Increased to pern,cious activity BY ohceho!dins."
This proclamation was not generally mis-
understood. It especially commended itself
to those o~fflceholding persons who had no
preference for hard work: to those office
holding persons who were without influence
or popularity in what the President do
scrihed rs their localities: and to those
oflceholdcrs who. npprchcpsive Of a change
In the political sentiments of the voters In
1855. greeted with pleasure IN opportunity
for securely concealing their real prefer
enccs. Ry abstainins from all political nc
tivity. bcneilcent rs well us pernicious. and
by hiding In their Utmost souls that party
loyalty whicl, might imperil. they could
W. IL uot III thtHBS W Ill lllCus W iStSb "
things to either party. and thus retain
Office ut minimum risk OF being bounced.
The bestowal VI n lucrative public office
upon an overheatcd partisan hns. nine
times out Of ten. the effect Of chilling his
energy and Introducing q tired feeling into
his brains and bones. Nothing but the
fear OF losing his post arouses him. In such
cases. from the political lethargy into
which he loves to fall. The assurance
that no recurrence of feverish symptoms
Of political activity would he expected, de-
manded. or even tolerated. was therefore
very welcome to many onlceholders who
held on and over during what remained OF
the Democratic Administration. and also
during tho four years of Republican
supremacy. They dated tho change OF
their convictions from March 4. 1889.
Nearly seven years have elapsed since
the bulletin against supcrzealous partisans
In the Federal service made its nppearance:
but not until the present month has tho
converse proposition come forth-namely.
the objection to persons perniciously in
active. 1t was long overdue. but at last we
have II. The privileges Of oGlceholders are
not enlarged. nor their duty to the party in
creased. by persistent and unpatriotic neg
lsct Of their obligations as citizens. That
u o the doctrine.
A black list Of such offenders. 1t appears.
has been prepared. and every one of them.
claiming . residence elsewhere than In
Washington. who has repeatedly failed to
20 homo and cast his vote on election day for
one OF the other party. must now depart
from Washington on a less cheerful errand;
and thus . vacancy will DO created for some
moro worthy aspirant.
Mr.. SruRTEvANT OF Massachusetts,. who.
- u alleged. did not once vote for President
during thirty years. was the first OF the
outgoing series. His name was at the top
Of the black list. But he is not the only
one. Oh dear No! Thcre are scores of
other Federal of1ceholders whose posts
arc sought by good Democrats. They must |
Ill 60. II proved recreant to the citizens
duty. Men without party convictions
have no place In Federal Offices In Wash
They are OH the black list. and
their hance Of retention are no better than
they would be II Boz MAXWELL himself
had their names In his memorandum book.
Thus 1t Is that In less than seven years
from the PRONUNCIATION OF the bulletin OF
July. 1886. its provisions are further ampli-
und completed by the determination to
exclude from Office perniclously inactive
Federal officials. The rule OF 1893 sup
plements the order OF 1886. One lts the
other as the glove fits the hand. II the
objection BIO urged by some persons that
the completion Of tho proposition laid down
seven years ngo has been unnecessarily de-
the answer Is simple: During four
Of these seven years tho Republicans have
been In power.