Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-02-23
Two EXECUTIVES COMPARED.


governor of New York. For quarter,
of a century past the man who was
chosen governor of the Empire State
has occupied position of prominence
and influence second only to that of the
national executive. If he possessed
strong personality and impressed his
individuality upon his administration,
to the advantage of his constituents,
he could be sure that his fellow
countrymen throughout the land were
interested and sympathetic observers
of his course. One need cite only the
names of Samuel j. Tilden and Grover
Cleveland.
In 1899, as in 1875 and 1883, there
has come into the executive chair at
Albany man of convictions, of force,
of independence, who combines with
these qualities personal traits which
render him even more interesting than
either Tilden or Cleveland. Everybody
had heard of Theodore Roosevelt before
he was elected governor, and everybody
was curious to see how he would
govern The curiosity due to the
peculiar qualities of the man was
heightened by the fact that he found
the State government demoralized by
the administration of a predecessor
party SO discredited that only the con-
fldence Of independent voters in him
had saved the ticket by a narrow
margin from defeat.
The first month of Gov. Roosevelt's
administration has set the pace which
nobody doubts that it will keep during
the next %. 1t is worth while to con-
trast some of its features with COR
responding features. of President Nc
Kinley's administration.
The opening of 1899 found both the
Federal army and the National Guard
of New York sadly demoralized through
the operation of politics. President
Mckinley had appointed as Secretary
of War a man who had left the Union
| army during the civil war in disgrace,
and who had become notorious as
corrupt politician, in peace. Secretary
| Alger has managed the War Depart
ment as badly as was to have been ex
pected from man with such record.
| A constant succession of fragrant scan
dals has disgraced the nation before
the world. Yet the Secretary who has
brought this shame upon the United
States is retained by Mr.. Mckinley
because his political .'pull' is so
strong that weak President cannot
shake it off.
Appointments of men of tho Alger
type to the chief offices in the National
Guard of New York by Gov. Black at
the beginning of his term had reduced
it before the end to condition of
utter Generalization. GOV. Roosevelt
disregatded politics entirely in filling
the places of these incompetents. He
gave the most important position to a
Democrat, simply because Gen. An
drews, by virtue of his character,
training, experience, and fitness,
promised to make a better adjutant-
general than any Republican who Was
suggested as Tillinghast's successor.
President Mckinley had plain evil
dence of incompetency and fraud in
the conduct Of the War Department
thrust upon his notice last summer.
He appointed to investigate these
charges board of citizens who pos
sessed no legal power and many OF
whom VIGOROUSLY SO committed to a
defence of the accused that the inquiry
was foreseen from the start to be only
the job of whitewashing that it has
turned out. When the general com.
manding the army tried to expose the
! beef frauds by which hundreds Of
. soldiers were made sick, the President
helped the Alger whom he ought long
ago to have removed in efforts to dis
credit Miles and punish him for doine
his duty as an honest man.
Gov. Roosevelt found the Publ,
Works Department of the State govern
,, ment involved in frauds. His frs
effort was to replace the dishones
Republican superintendent who hat
: permitted these frauds with the bes
, man he could find, his first choic,
! being an officer of the volunteer arm,
Z distinguished as an engineer. His mex
? step was to try to secure the punish
nent Of the Republican politicians in
: volved in the frauds. In order mos
: surely to accomplish this, he employe,
J Democratic lawyers to push their prose
: cution.
9 President Mckinley sent his annua
. message to Congress a few weeks ago
The spoilsmen in his party had beef
Y clamoring for still further lettin
y down of the bars in the merit system
y so that thousands Of places now onl
9 to be filled by competitive examination
!, might again be made "plums" 70
office. seekers with claims" but wit
9 no other qualification. The Presiden
Q ignored the whole subject of Civi
. Service Reform in his message, and
y credited with the intention to issue a
executive order taking some thousand
y of places out of the classified service.
g Gov. Roosevelt found the Civ
u Service of the State demoralize
!, through the operation of law in th
u interest of the spoilsmen which ha
10 been devised by his Republican pre-
!, decessor and administered by con-
q mission that was not friendly to a
" honest application of the merit system
10 In his message to the Legislature b
,, declared his conviction that 18Th
d present law works badly from ever
y standpoint" and recommended til
Is enactment of new law modelled j
!, its essential provisions upon the oil
Y civiltservice law which was passet
!. upon the recommendation of Grow,
~ Cleveland and with the hearty c.
y operation Of Theodore Roosevelt,
81 1883. In order to make the new statu
70 as effective as possible, the govern,
30 has sought the advice of the Civ
Service Reform Association. In ord
rC to secure an honest administration
no the merit system when it shall thus
~ restored, he has changed the cor
s- mission SO that a majority of its men
ey bers are now earnest believers in tn,
~ system.
ne These are samples of the contrast b
~ tween the executive at Washington al
~ ~ the executive at Albany. 1t is co
"a trast which is already attracting h
u attention Of the American people.
Y. is contrast which is sure, from d
u characters of the two men, to Decor
r. still more striking as time passes, al
ny ne the work of an honest, vigorous, al
u. independent governor is set or
OF against that Of n weak President "