The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-29
A Most Necessary Reform Broached.

Mr.. Brown, of Missouri, yesterday offered, ana
the Senate adopted, the following resolution
"ResOlVed, That the Committee on the Judio arY'
be 1nsiruoted TO inquire into ne expedIen)y OF pro,
vding BY law for such reorganlz ltion OF the olYu
service, and especially Of the Post once treasury
ana Interior Departments, shall secure appoint
ments to the for specific terms, after previous
examna ION by proper boards; as shall prOvioe IoI
suIhorze dism,ssa, under the sSfeeuards of trial
resignation; shall officer each Drancn OF Ine scr
vice with wetraned experts IN thS oe'siS M nso o
business and as shall assImilate them al more
nearly TO those conditions ana regulat.ons Whlcn
govern the en- islrent and etnoienGy Si y sne army
cessully pTecuded The latter from beng used mereiV
as reservoirs OF poll ca patronage or ordinary ap-
phances of party power"
1t is hardly too much to say that this resoIu-
ton contemplates the most wise, benefcent,
and important reform that could be introduced
into American government and politics. Our
present system OF appointments to office and
removals thcrefrom is the most corrupt aud
corrupting scheme imaginable. 1t was never
contemplated by the founders of the Govern
ment, and was totally unknown in the admins
trations of our earlier Presidents 1t is the out
growth of an extreme partisanshp, and is cal
culated to promote the interests Of party rather
than the wel-beine of the country. There is no
more reason why change in administrations
should be expected to work change in the
lior Departments than in that OF the War De-
partment OF the Navy Department. These latter
Departments in their organization furnish the
proper plan after which all branches of the
civil service should be modelled. Officers should
be appointed upon examination, ana with
pecial reference TO their fitness for the posts they
are expected 10 occupy. Promotions should
follow experience and merit.
A.. III
should soon have ali branches of the civil SER
vice filled with able and expert officers. Our
foreign Ministers would be trained and skilful
diplomatsts, instead OF being, as they now too
often are, superannuated politicians and chronic
officeseekers. The Treasury and Post Office
Departments would he filled, not with ward
politicians and village mendlcants, but with
experienced and capable business men. Civic
Office would be looked upon, not as the mere
reward of party services, but as thing to be
sought by dilgent preparation and demonstrated
capacity. But more important than all, the
whole tone of politics would be elevated, could
we once and forever throw overheard that
corrupt and pernicious doctrine of Office as the
end OF party, which finds its enuucauon in the
dogma that $50 the victors belong the spols.n
Our present system fosters all the worst elements
OF partisanship. 1t is destructive equally of
independence of character in the incumbents of
office, and of efficiency and honesty in the
performance of their duties. 1t makes the spolls
OF office the great motive power, whereas it
ought to be only mere incident OF party
action.
These vices are common to all our parties
They have become part of our general politi-
cal system. But their evil and disastrous effects
have certainly become sufficiently obvious to all
good men to.secure, as we trust, general move
ment for reform. AS such, we hail Mr.. Browns
resolutions and the Senate's action thereon.