Evening star., 1895-04-25
A COMING VACANCY
Gossip as to the Successor to Mr..
Roosevelt.
SHOULD He BEA REPUBLICAN?
Argument of Those Who Think He
Should.
THREE PARTIES REPRESENTED

Ought Mr.. Roosevelt's successor on the
board of civil service commissioners to be
a democrat?
The question is very interesting one,
and opens up in certain way, it Is thought
by some, the whole proposition of civil
service reform as it relates to partisan
affiliations. There are good friends OF the
reform who answer the question in the
negative, and explain their opinion by say
ing that for the President even to appear
to take partisan advantage of this vacancy
would be unwise, and probably Injurious to
the cause. He is expected to select a good
friend of the reform for the place-as good
a one as Mr.. Roosevelt, If he can find him
but he ought to be republican.
Should BE a Republican.
The argument of those who take this
view Of the matter is brief and to the point.
They hold that the civil service board, to
continue to be truly representative CT the
cause, and effective, must continue to rep
resent the three great parties Tito which
the people of the country are divided;
namely, the republican party, the demo-
cratic party and the Independent party.
The board is now SO constituted President
Proctor is a democrat, and a sterling ene
He stands by his party in all of its cardinal
contentious while also stanch friend of
civil service reform.
Mr.. Roosevelt Is q republican. and as a
party man is as thorough-going on the one
side as Mr.. Proctor is on the other. Mr..
Lyman, as is well known, stands conspic-
uously for civil service reform itself and
therefore is considered an independent in
politics. That is the one public question in
which he takes an absorbing interest, and,
as result 1t has operated to classify him.
Ih1S board has been successful in its work
The country has accepted its activity as ex-
pressve Of a sincere desire on its part to
enforce the law fairly. Democrats have
believed in Mr.. Proctor. republicans in Mr..
Roosevelt and Independents of Mr.. Lymans
type have looked to him for the proper rep
resentation. This arrangement 1t is held,
ought not to be disturbed. The board ought
rot to SHOW show majority taken from any
party. That would bring it at once under
ban. Its fairness might continue to be all
tfat 1t should be, and it's activity in the in
terests OF the reform highly praiseworthy.
but partisan control, it is contended would
be charged against it by those inimical to
the cause, and thoroughly effective work
would thus be hindered, if not, indeed, pre-
vented.
A kindred Case.
The case Is not considered analogous to
that in the selecting of a successor to Mr.
Lamar on the Supreme bench, but there is
thought to be kinship between the two
sufficient to afford a suggestion. President
Harrison was strongly urged to appoint a
republican to That vacancy. Precedent, pub
lie policy, both were quoted to him. Ques-
tions growing out of the results of the
war were likely to continue to come before
the court for adjudication, and therefore
the court ought to continue to represent in
its majority membership the party that
had triumphed in the war. Mr.. Lamar's
successor would not turn the scale either
way. but the extreme republican partisans
held that the line of precedent was the line
of safety, and for that reason a republi-
can ought to be appointed. President Har-
riC tlo tl4,r r.ior -
He insisted, in the first place, that the
court should be free from all purely par
tisan bias; but, recognizing that In this
country even judges must be taken from
political parties. he held. in the second
place, that the minority party was entitled
to representation on that bench. He there
fore selected democrat to succeed dem
ocrat and one thought to entertain about
public questions in general views more or
less in accord with those that Mr.. Lamar
had held. The selection was afterward ap-
proved by a large mapority of Gen. Har-
risOn'S own party.
Three Parties to he Recognized.
So, now, in the matter Of the coming
Roosevelt vacancy on the civil service
hoard. This board, in many of it's func-
tions, is court, and there are friends OF
civil service reform who insist that it
should be kept as free as possible from
purely partisan bias. They recognize the
fact however, that even civil service COM
missioners must be taken from political
parties and SO make the condition that the
three great parties be recognized. They ac-
cept Mr.. Proctor as most worthy demo-
crat, and Mr.. Lyman as a stanch and true
independent, and to properly complete the
board again they ask for the appointment
of good republican in the place of MIR.
Roosevelt. The sounder the republican, the
better. He would thus be all the more
worthy to succeed as sound republican as
Mr. Roosevelt, and at the same time pre-
serve to the board it's reputation for thor
oughness and firlnness in the consideration
Of all questions brought before it.
The Cause Making Progress.
This canvass of the subject shows that
the friends of civil service reform are in a
comfortable frame of mind so far as recent
progress is concerned. They do not fear
the ultimate result. They have a strong
faith that the cause will win. 1t is gain
ing in every section Of the country, and
needs only to be pushed along with wis
dom and discretion. The strongest men in
beth parties are behind 1t, and will increase
their interest in 1t if properly encouraged
to do So These men will note with some
concern, it is predicted, the Presidents
action in filling this vacancy. The choice
he makes will convey more or less meaning
to them as TO the future work of the COM
mission 1t is conceded that the work
ought to be thorough and sincere but it is
denied that it ought to be fierce OF need
lessly aggressive. All reforms call for time
for their perfect working out.