Evening journal., 1897-07-16
A MERE SHAM.

n hA-ANAa RAAAhAhs
When Judge jeremiah Black said OF
the Republican party that its organiza-
tion was held together by the cohesive
power Of public plunder, he gave, in a
few words, most of its creed and the es-
sence OF its history. It's vulnerable |
course furnishes no end of ground on
which to sustain this charge It's last
platform contains the following plank |
on civil service:
The civil service law was placed on
the statute book by the Republican
party, which has always sustained it.
We renew our repeated declarations |
that It shall be thoroughly and honestly |
enforced, and extended wherever practi- |
cable.
The mere quotation of this plank OF
its platform is a condemnation Of
its course in dealing with Federal pa
tronage.
When that party saw the national
government about to pass from its con-
troll it put the civil service law on the
statute books in order to keep thou
sands OF government offices in the
hands of its partisans and to prevent
the Democratic party from enjoying, to
any considerable extent, the spoils of
its victories, and its organization from
deriving the benefit Of thousands Of po
sitions in which its members could rem
der their party more efficient service.
The most impartial analysis of the
course of the Republican party reveals
no better motive for its action in plac-
ing the civil service law on the statute
books, than an unblushing attempt to
offset it's prospective loss of power by
degislating unto itself life estate in
the spoils of office
AS distasteful as 1t was to the Demo-
Gratis TO be confronted with a law of
this kind on their accession to power
after being on the outside for twenty
five years, they nevertheless accepted it
as the law of the land and sustained it
as such. AT the close OF the Democratic
administration in 1885, Mr.. Cleveland
recognized the railway mail clerks as
close public servants, who required
long training to gain the experience
anu chAai nNhNNcdle W a. HAOHAA AAo"
charge OF their laborious duties, and as
the Republican party had established
the rule, and being a believer in IL him
self, the president exercised his author
ity under the law and extended the rule
to cover these clerks. When Mr.. Har-
rison was inaugurated he promptly sus-
pended the rule until his party could
fill the positions in the railway mail
service, and then extended the rule
again over his own appointees, Repub-
licans. Mr.. Cleveland's extension of the
rule was unrighteous, because it cover
ed Democrats. Mr.. Harrison's was
sound CD because it covered Republi-
cans.
Another Democratic administration
came in in 1898 and found about S5 per
cent, OF all the offices, under the so
' called non-partisan civil service, in the
hands of Republicans, but the rule was
not disturbed. It stood as the law oi
the land. Mr.. Cleveland again made
an extension OF the rules Of the service
to cover the subordinate positions in
the government printing office, interna
revenue service, and few of the higher
positions held by chiefs of division ant
chief clerks in the different depart
ments.
Notwithstanding the plank in tn
Republican platform of last year, an,
the fact that Mr. Mckinley is com
mitted TO the civil service law by hi
declarations on numerous occasions, ye
Immediately upon the formation of hi
Cabinet this administration began {
demand the designations Of all tn
chiefs and chief clerks, and, in a larg
number OF instances, did not indulg
the formality of calling for resigna
tions, but peremptorily dismissed thes
men, and when they called to learn
there was any cause why such actio
had been taken in their cases they weI
informed that their places we're wante
for Republicans. Furthermore, tn
president is about to sign an order TO I
submitted by the Civil Service Commi
sion to abolish the application of II
rule to the positions in the governmel
printing office and the internal revenl
service. When this is done this a.