The times., 1899-06-05
MONDAY. JUNE 5, 1899.
The Mckinley spoiIs system.

The Mckinley Spoils System.
The President has now had ample time
and opportunity to observe the effect OF
his order o-ce more placing the civil serv-
ice of the Government under the spoils
system, and it is sufficiently obvious that
he is smarting from the nearly unanimous
criticisms of his action in the leading press
of the country. This is seen in the plainly
inspired defences, explanations, misstate-
ments. and apologies, of which the recog-
nlzed Administration organs have been
full for the past two or three days. 1t
must be painful for him to observe, in this
connection. that although the publications
in question no doubt have been carefully
warned to stand by their guns and earn
their subsidies, their work is half hearted,
and their arguments so consciously
weak and perfunctory, that they cnly
tend to further expose and damn the thing
they affect to excuse. AS an illustration,
the New York Tribune" could find moth
ing better to say in regard to the sup
preston of the Civil Service Commission,
than to express the hope that Mr.. McKin-
ley would see that the apocryphal exam
nations to be ordered by heads of depart
ments. as a substitute for the regular civil
service examinations, were made adequate
and thorough.
Outside of the little group of hired glori-
fers, there is no comfort for the Chief
Magistrate, who is being universally con-
fronted with his record. which he has COM
pletely stultified, and the pledges and
promises he has unblushingly broken
Among many other things, to most of
which We have previously alluded, Mr.
Mckinley will hardly have forgotten a
speech he made in the House of Represent
atives nine years ago, in the course of
which he said: "If the Republican party
of this country is pledged to any one thing
more than another it is the mainte-
nance of the civil service law and its eff
fective execution: not only that, but to its
enlargement. The Republican party must
take no step backward"
Does not he consider it a backward step
70 burn the very soul out of the merit sys-
TEN by allowing heads of departments to
appoint Republican political workers 10
unclassified places as laborers. and then
TO promote them 10 any and all places in
the classified list with only such "exami-
nation as 1t may suit their interests OF
personal objects to prescribe? Is it not
backward step to take four thousand
of the most desirable Government posi-
tions from the protection of the civil
service law. and deliberately offer them
as prey to political workers who 1oto-
riously could not come within sight of
the least Of them under the operations
of the merit system? Is it not a back
ward step TO prepare for all these things
secretly. without consultation with and in
supreme contempt OF the Civil Service
Commission?
In his inaugural address Mr. Mckinley
referred to the civil service plank in the
ST. Louis platform upon which he was
nominated and elected, and which declares
that the civil service reform shall be
thoroughly and honestly enforced and ex-
tended wherever possible::" and he made
enforcement in the spirit in which it was
enacted. The best interests OF the eoun-
sy demand this"
DO the best interests Of the country de-
nand the same thing any less today than
chey did on the Fourth of March. 1887 ?
The President knows they do not; but the
'best interests" of a rather problematical
effort to secure second term, and an as
sumed necessity TO further his political
ambition by means of an open door to the
spoils hunters Of his party. seem to have
appealed to him in way to make him
forgetful OF former principles and pledges.
We are sorry for him; sorry, as We have
had cause to be before that his backbone
should so often melt before the fire of his
mslign and corrupt surroundings and pri-
vate advisers. Like the mass of the Ameri-
can people who have been inclined to re-
spect and honor him as a brave and worthy
leader Of the nation in war. but whose faith
has been shattered by his protection of
Algerism. Carterism. Eaganism, and such
lamehtable things, and now has been dis
sipated by his defiant return 10 the in
famous spoils system. We can only express
the deepest and sincerest regret that one
with such possibilities and opportunities
TO make himself truly great should throw
them to the dogs OF Official and political
corruption.