Evening star., 1934-12-30
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Much concern was felt by Office
holders in Washington fifty years ago
Grover Cleveland , possible sII ''O. pat IT,
on Civil Service. ronage" inroads
upon the civil
service with the change Of adminis-
traticn. The Star of December 80,
1884. prints q letter written by Presi-
dent-elect Cleveland few days before
to George W. Curtis, president of the
Civil Service Reform League, as fol-
lows:
THAT practical reform in the
civil service is demanded is abundantly
established by the fact that statute
to secure such result has been
passed by Congress with the assent
Of both political parties, and by the
further fact that sentiment is gen.
orally prevalent among patriotic peo.
pie calling for the fair and honest
enforcement Of the law. I regard
myself pledged to this because my
conception Of true democratic faith
and public duty requires that this and
all other statutes should be in good
faith and without evasion enforced,
and because in many utterances made
prior to my election as President, and
approved by the party to which I
belong, and which have no DISPOSE
ton to disclaim, I have in effect
promised the people that this should
be done.
''I am not unmindful of the fact to
which you refer that many of our
citizens fear that the recent party
change in the National Executive may
demonstrate that the abuses which
have grown up in the civil service
are ineradicable. I know that they
are deeply rooted and that the spoils
system has been supposed to be inti-
mately related to success in the main
tenance of party organization, and
am not sure that all those who
profess to be the friends of this reform
will stand firmly among its advocates
when they find it obstructing their
way to patronage and place. But
fully appreciating the trust committed
to my charge, no such consideration
shall cause a relaxation on my part
Of any earnest effort to enforce this
law.
There Is a class of Government
positions which are not within the
letter of civil service status, but which
are so disconnected with the policy Of
an administration that the removal
therefrom of present incumbents, in
my opinion, should not be made during
the terms for which they were ap-
pointed, solely on partisan grounds,
and for the purpose of putting in their
places those who were in political
accord with the appointing powers,
but many now holding such positions
have forfeited all Just claim to re-
tention, because they have used their
places for party purposes in disregard
of their duty to the people and be-
cause instead of beind decent public
servants they have proved themselves
offensive partisans and unscrupulous
manipulators Of local party manage
ment.
1.-THE lessons Of the past should be
unlearned and such officials, as we'll
as their successors, should be taught
that efficiency, fitness and devotion to
public duty are the conditions Of
their continuance in public place, and
that the quiet and unobtrusive exer-
else of individual political rights is
tne reasonable measure OF thelr party
service.
"If I were addressing none but
party friends I should deem it entirely
proper to remind them that though
the coming administration Is to be
Democratic, due regard for the
peoples interest does not permit
faithful party work to be always re-
warded by appointment to office and
to say to them that while Democrats
may expect all proper consideration
selections for Offices not embraced
within the civil service rule will be
based upon sufficient inquiry as to
fitness, instituted by those charged
with that duty rather than upon
persistent importantly of self-solicited
recommendation on behalf of candi-
dates for appointment"