New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-25
QUEER CIVIL SERVICE REFOR

FAITHFUL CONSUL DECAPiTATED WITHOUT
NOTICE AFTER slXTEEN YEARS SERVICE.
To the Editor C. The Tribune.
Sir: II Is no; with the desire to proong any agony
connected with the wholesale dismissal Of Anier!-
can officials IN European countries accomplished by
the partisan zeal of social d Civil Service REFORM
Administration that the writer asks FOR modicum
OF you, space but 4 is for the purpose OF doing SIM
pie justice &C. one of the victims OF the aforesaid
poicy-a gentleman and scholar. Journalist ana
lltterateur of no ordinary ability
| refer to George L. Catlin. who after serving his
country sixteen consecutive years as Consul first
at La Rochelle, then at Stuttgart. and finally at
Zurich had genuine surprise day last July rs he
turned to his evening paper md read that Euson"
GERMAN. OF Los Angeles. had been appointed Consul
a; Zurich. The reader will please note with what
extreme dclicacy this act OF removing tried and
faithful public servant was performed. Not i word
OF Cf!cal promonition personal notlncT ton WAS
sent to Mr.. Catn. but chance newspaper para
graph. contributed ty enterprisng reporter from
the American gatherings OF Reuters Agency. hap
pcned to attract this genteman's attent !, by
which be- informed Of his d"cIpiiatlon. might
have been arranged that the first public state
ments should be in the nature OF an lntimaton that
a change In the Office contemplated. but nothing
OF this kind done. am free to admit inat
part OF my grievance in this case arises from the
fact that Mr. Catlin was once my companion In stu
dent life at Yale, and that the friendship then begun
has never ceased. But ms Is nOt mht'I.dI u we
main point.
In a recent letter my friend states that h. has
reason 70 believe that It AZ josiah Quincy
ard b. alone. who dld it-anl that q; I'VE minutes
notice" IL IS Informed that Mr.. Quincy made no
inquiry about Mr.. Catln's term ~ svr'lce or fidelity
in his work. but r,morselessly struck OF his name
from "a" official list ana appointed ms successor
According TO yes.erlrys nrws from Wa.hineion' II
It's tnc old question over again OF Who Killed
cock robin suppo.lr s il - be- Mr. Quincy. would
It not h" ali of p,er"" II p" had asked qucs-
lions about Nr. Catln's 'ccssJr further than II
ascertain that he was good Democrat ana there
on the sham" OF 10. That man ~ Mr. Cailin's
experience. who speaks with ease three Of the
dischargc a. an officer in the Wlr 81 me Rebellion
WAS retained uy Mr.. Cleveland during hs hrsi
Work was satisfactory 10 mo Department Of state
and that hc was h'l in respect AMI est. IN by The
FnulIl d" ll~ "hc'''in'hoa'Iy pi"pP"'l i itiN-
cs'r upon H., r'ry name 81 purity ~ politics. such
reform. are calculated to max. our Republic a by
word among the "ene'r monarches' OF The OLA
That Mr.. Ca;'in !s a Journals, Of reputc Il wit
nessei hy ihr l-"t 50 wr remembered Ia N"W-York.
The Commcr. ial Advertise His consular reports
hay" h"on - .l~n in dcion AMI abundant in their
cvncnc' ~ painq'tking labor. accompanied by intel
W; az AVcf'E ii'on %! MS SUBJECTS
IT IS Certainly 70 l." hoped. In charity for Mr.
unir' onabl'n Which ch1racteriz~I tn" action
Of n's suhordnai" N THE Instance. bu; Il * mpoi-
sponsihihy for this untuai removal le' MIN b"
on2III o iyr ha' III reiiIned Mr 'Sn ~ thr post
non Eri what a ply that b. become woary In
turn ~ hc H,ouh!c'n iarty To- Towes s' NH ' Usher
In perfect political paradise tut T. j. 10 De- hopel
nat when thr p,mocracy SHAH be- coasignrd to It's
promotion Tor merit viii Dr. c''ablshci IN an Gov
Springfield. Mass. Jan. 70. ivt