New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-01
SCHURZ TO GALLINGEKs
VIGOROUS DEFENCE OF THE CIVIL
SERVICE LAW.
THE NEW HAMPSHIRE SENATOR'S ATTACK 81
THE LAW ANSWERED AND PRESIDENT

| THE LAW ANSWERED AND PKEsipENT
CLEvELANDs ACTION DEFENDED
Carl Schurz has addressed TO Senator J. H. Cal
linger, OF New-Hampshire. another open letter u
their controversy the Civil Service law. which
| is in part follows.
1t is pleasant to notice that in three columns Of
personal diatrihe YOU have at least ten lines about
Of ADMIT G%l na s S
Is, no, me creature OF set of traitors and 20.
party claims it as its offspring ," and has solemny
pieased itself In It's platform to enforce that law
you are repadatns this ns-sSandins and Irnpor:
tant part OF the Republican creed. and that you
pledge. YOU have only this defence s I'm regard 70
to % county, sx ssA the as Vii e.:
Sss tbs hat party Is Its best Interpreter AZ
law Is not fundamental political tenet. but sim.
P Ply, question Of opinion II you win read care
YOU will observe that i demands p that II dhe civil
service service law shall be thoroughly and honestly
commended and s contend oSe n ihst Grover
dd not honestly enforce the law. but
Mef Of political tenet but mere
platform must be quoted to you again 1 to make
y yfacd fully appreciate 4, The Civil service law
party. which has always sustained H. and we re-.
new sUro, our repeated declarations that It shall be
wherever practicable" Have you ever known any
1t is not t.; as most platform declarations are. :
more or less vague EXPIRE 'son of sentiment or gem
specific
and unequivocal. more so than any protectve tar.
G6 nank ever WAS There BE- The shadow
stands on the statute-book. There can be no
as tho to what the OF he Law
Democratic Administrations show IT, There can
to no a0h' b to the sgncsnse Of the pledge
mean anything else than the widening Of the
yond the limits within which it P operated 4, tSs
m ms the hy pledge d Wv was made And il
g Wand nd neI h as reay faithful Republican,
Ceveands order Of Nav ls n haa fresdent
sued sued to make substantially the same extensions
tcable." " wherever prsc'
INTERPRETATION OF PARTY PLEDGEs
Ana In the face Ct all this you assert that the
Interpretation OF the Civil Service law and Of the
Republican pledge concerning It is a matter
OF opinion" and that the party itself ia the best
interpreter Do you mean to say that the party
itself may interpret the pledges upon which 1t asked
Tor the peoples votes just 1t may please? Is not
TINS attrlhutng 10 the political party the doctrine
o. OF me divine right of kings-the officers Of the
Governm. mt being responsible only to the king, and
Re KING being s only to himself or he
the doctrine of the divine right OF party.
How President Mckinney. faithful Republi-
pledge, all know But how do You advise the
Kepabican party to Interpret" 1t? You pretend to
wno; as you say did not honestly enforce the law
nut prosttuted IT to partisan ends OF course. you
fairly yearn, for really honest" enforcement Of
your patriotic soul. DO you not again presume
upon the supposed ignorance Of the people OF New
sonai Record" to find that on March g. 1851 less
than nine months after the Republican party had
ate thus II do not believe that lie is long enough
for this Senate TO Investigate the Civil Service OF
This Government. There Is a shorter and easier
w Sa ana ii mat Is to get rid Of The whole thing
other House of Congress. ! have voted against It
in the Senate whenever opportunity offered. and
statute I stand upon the simple proposition that
it is an nn-American law. and that every citizen
other citizen of he Reublic to seek employmsnt
this equality of rights We're e not Infinitely more .e
cure under the system of competitive examinations
equally open to all than under the system Of ap.
an opportunity whatever the proposition may be:
so vote. and ! shall take my chance with the peo-
pie whom happen to represent in part in this
the aesthetic tastes of the people OF Massachu-
Thus It appears that you recognize the pledge Of
ne Republican party to enforce the Civil Service
wherever practicabe": that you reserve to the Re.
publican party the right interpret this pledge:
party to redeem the pledge binding it enforce the
Civil Service law honestly and thoroughly BY blot
pleasant question to ask. Senator. but 1t must bs
asked: Is this position to be taken or game to
suggest that it will not be a sufficient answer To-
@ or 10 cry Sa5 @ o @e e2en a ya !:
a common felon Nor will Il be sufficient to affirm
that you have never voted any other than the
The sad confusion of moral principle betrayed BY
stronger light by the garingly untruthful state.
ments concerning the administration OF the Civil
stituents in your public correspondence with Mr.
McAneny refer TO this because It is characteris-
tie OF the utterly INSCRIPTIONS methods by which
the war against the Civil Service law Is being car
ried on. OF those statements will recall only .
few specimens to your memory.
THE CHARGES AGAINST MR. IT EyErAN
You charged that President Cleveland's last
order which swept into the classified service almost
fifty thousand employees. bears date OF November l.
1896" and that there is every reason to believe =
that the order dated November actually not
written until after the result OF the election OF No
vember was known TO the country" BY this
charge. you evidently intended to make your con.
sttuents believe that President Cleveland had syly
waited until the Government certain TO pass
into Republican hands. and that then he had sx-
tended the operation OF the Civil Service law pro-
tect Democratic appoin,ees. The truth is, and 50 4
shown you. that the Executive order extend.
ing the Civil Service law issued by President
& AND Severa Weeks before either Of the he great
political parties held its National convention Il
brought into the classified service by that order was
not ffty thousand but gs;2 and that a! h Least
to the examination system under separate depart'
mental orders Neither is it true as yOu charge
President cIsyesnds order protected them asssse
trary removals issued by President Clevos
land but by President Mckinley.
To make the Civil Service law ridiculous to your
constituents you told them that applicants for APP
pointments as candidates compositors or press.
men in the Government Printing Office were re-
qulred to hop on foot distance of twelve feet,
as part of their examination and thar they had to
answer to the question whether they were immune
to the diseases endemic or epidemic In the Southern
States 1t conclusvely shown 20 you that the
first test was imposed compositors and press
men in the printing office, but only applicants
for places requiring physical strength and endur.
OF heart action IL is also used In the Army and
Navy. and that answer to the second question
is demanded only OF applicants for places In the
Marine Hospital Service and few similar places
at Southern ports
To make the Civil Service law seem useless and
even harmful the public interest. you told your
constituents that not one item of proof has been
Irnduced chow that the SeLXice Is better now