Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1873 — Doable Office-Holding. [ARTICLE]

Doable Office-Holding.

The President’s executive order, announcing that persons holding Federal positions who accept office under the authority of the States and Territories will be considered to have resigned, is another evidence of his sincere interest in the improvement of the civil service. The New York World calls it a “ sham.” But it immediately proceeds to show that it is not. The Tenure-of-Offlee act, as it states, is still unrepealed, and under that law the President can only conditionally remove. But when he says that the acceptance of a State office by a Federal officer will be regarded as a resignation he announces that he will nominate a successor to the Senate, and the Senate must assume the responsibility of retaining the officer. ■ It is not the President’s fault that the law is not repealed. His opposition to it is well known. But as he cannot dispense with the laws even to secure a better service, it is ridiculous to call his resolution to do all that he legally can a sham. It is so only upon the theory that he has. an understanding with the Senate to resist his order of suspension, and to continue the officer, which is as silly as the theory of last year, that he had agreed with certain Senators to propose a method of improvement which they should defeat. The President suspended ConsulGeneral Butler, and has nominated a successor. But if the Senate should refuse to confirm him, it would be only a candor like that of the World which would describe his action as a sham. “Mr. Grant,” says the yVorid— with a spirit akin to that of the old British Tories who called General Washington “Mr. Washington”—“still has the handcuffs on, and the dirty politicians he now turns upon, after favoring and assisting them so long, may defy him.” This remark suggests one observation. The President is constantly held personally responsible, and often by those who are not unfriendly to him, for every inefficient and corrupt officer in the service, and for all the conduct of office-holding politicians. Thiß is the sheerest injustice. Nothing is more evident than that, under the system which has so long prevailed, and with the acquiescence of the country, the President can know very little of the character or of the qualifications of the great multitude of officeholders, while the office-holding politicians are a disciplined and organized body which, as the World says, may in a sense defy the President. They naturally wish to sustain an Administration under which they are in place, and whose friends in the Benate have declined to repeal the Tenure of-Office law. If they are accused of coercing a convention, or of controlling a Legislature, they are instantly declared to be the agents of the President, and the fact that every one who takes part is not removed is instently cited as evidence of the President’s complicity. The President, however, has never declared, nor do we suppose he thinks, that those who hold office should abdicate either a proper interest or activity in politics. Indeed, his executive order of last year, upon this very subject, shows that he is not of that opinion. But his present action is the plainest possible intimation, and, together with that to which we have referred, is the coinpletest declaration, that there fe an improper and excessive interest and activity in politics which he condemns and will not countenance. There is a very just and proper impatience among self-respecting citizens with the presence and what may be called the admonitory supervision, Gs national office-holders in conventions and similar assemblies, and nothing was more agreeable at the Philadelphia Convention that renominated the President than their conspicuous absence. The present executive order is a suggestion to those gentlemen to continue to be modest. There must, indeed, be parties and organization, and a consequent surrender of indifferent and minor preferences. Bnt there must be reason in all of these things. And the President is plainly of that opinion.— Harper's Weekly.