The morning call., 1893-03-06
A LIMIT TO 0FFIcE-sEEKERs

The dispatches from Washington report
the presence there of noble army of Office
seekers from this State, armed with recon-
mendations from Democrats Of distinction.
States have been made which embrace every
prominent Federal Office. and list OF suit
able candidates is ready to be submitted to
the President, so that he can make his selec-
ton. 1t does not appear to be in the COM
temptation OF the wire-pulleTs that Mr..
Cleveland can travel outside of the lists for
an appointee.
1t may not be impertlnent to remind the
gentlemen who are engaged in the work OF
providing the country with officials that
there are Gerty-four States in the Union
ana that each Of them needs a new set of
postmasters and collectors and district
attorneys and marShals and internal rev.
enue officials as badly as California. Mr..
Cleveland has the reputation of being con-
scientious. He will not make any appoint
ments without consideration. He will not
pick up men at haphazard on somebody's
say-so to fill posts in which they may bring
discredt on the admins tratiOn. Ii is far
more important to him that the public
service should 80 on smoothly and safely
than that certain gentlemen who have
deserved well of their party should be pro
yided with salaries out of the public purse.
1t is not at all essential to his comfort that
Mr.. a and Mr.. 3 and Mr.. c, who are stall
wart Democrats, should feed at the public
crib, but it is vital TO his comfort that no
one should be clothed with Office who may
disgrace his administration. Therefore, the
new President will proceed slowly and
deliberately TO exercise his power of
appointment. While he is thinking. the
missionaries from San Francisco to Wash
ington will find the price of board high and
the weather In the spring of the year too
warm for comfort.
Mr.. Cleveland's selection of Judge
Gresham TO fill the leading post in his Cabi-
net teaches lesson which ambitious Demo-
Gratis should carefully con. The woods
are full Of Democrats who would have fitted
the Office Of Secretary of State to the public
satisfaction. If Cleveland passed them by
to select so representative a Republican
that he had been nominated and voted for
in a Republican national convention for
President, it means that Cleveland does not
consider lifelong fidelity to Democratic
principles an INDISPENSABLE qualification for
Office, or the advocacy of Republican prin-
ciples a complete disqualification. 1t
is notice to the world that If the man IS fit.
the new President will not inquire with
which political party be has heretofore
acted, so long as on the main issue OF the
day he is in accord with the present admin
istration. This should prove a damper to
the hopes of those who are now seeking to
turn out Republican Office holders and to get
their places. mainly on the ground Of their
stalwart Democracy.
Suppose Mr.. Cleveland has made up his
mind +h-t 90 iV~~ NO. h. s"i@'.f'.lIJ
and effic iently discharged his duties in the
public service he will not remove him on
party grounds what would become Of the
army of e-seekers? And while rotation
IN Office has come 10 be the rule OF the civil
service, it must be remem bered that it could
not have worked but for the uuwritten law
that tharA I'LL H. no ROTATION IN bfilce
among those who really transact the public
business. The heads OF departments atWasll-
ington change with each election, but the
chiefs Of bureau, who really do the work
and carry on the business, are fixtures. Mr..
Hunter. the chief clerk of the State De
partment, had been fifty years in office when
he died the other day. Mr.. Ciinch Of New
York ran the Collectors Office at that port
for thirty years under ever so many differ
ent Collectors. For quarter of a century
the POstofiice in this city has been run by
The same man. the Postmaster sometimes
being mere igurehead.
II Mr.. Cleveland should happen to make
up his mind that he will not be bound by a
rule of rotation when there is no real rota-
ION, and that the business of turning out
office holders of one party TO make room for
ofice-holders of an other party is a practice
which does not promote the efficiency or the
service. and is a source of endless worry and
VexatiOn Of spirit 10 the executive, he may
have mapped course which. however
startling ii might at first seem. might in the
end command the approval Of tile Impair
tial. though it would probably be gall and
NORWOOD to those who believe that it is
the duty Of Government to provide their
bread and butter.