The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-10
Mr.. JenckeS' Civil Service Bill.

Mr.. Jenckes' Civil Service Bill.
From The Chicas Republican.
Incomparably the most important measure
pending before the grand council OF the nation
is Mr.. Jenckes' bill to secure urgently needed
reforms in the civil service of the United
States. We sincerely hope that the press OF
the country, breaking loose from partisan en-
tang emeDts, and casting aside partisan preju-
dices, will unite in seiziDg the present golden
opportunity to press upon Senators and Repre-
sentatves the duty they owe the people to
eStirpate the official incompetepcy and cOrrup
tion which, like some huge, malignant, inter
nal cancer, are slowly but surely eating out
the vitals of the Republic. The eXigency OF the
case cries aloud for prompt interposition.
Unless powerfully retroactive Influences are
set at work, the present system of dispensing
public patronage; founded on dangerous and
great errors, will degenerate and debauch the
whole nation in few decades more; substi-
tute falsehood, injustice, fraud, artifce,
slander and breach of faith, as Legitimate
weapons, for principle, argument, and patriotic
devotion in deciding elections and finally end
by subverting our free institutions. These
are net the words OF an alarmist, but of one
who has investigated the situation in the light
ofreeent experience, and OF the broader teach
ipgs of general history.
To exemplify. Our civil service comprises
than all our solGiers and sailors, with their OIL
GERS, in our army and navy, under existing
laws. The appointment of this vast body of
officers is vested, by the Constitution and acts
of Congress, in the President, or in the heads
OF departments, or in the national Judiciary.
That part of"the patronage, however, which
thus appertains to the courts is limited to
mere handful. Gradually there has grown up
a well understood and continually practised
custom of considering this multitude of places
of honor and profit as the spoils Of victory, in
direct violation of the principle which OBJ
tanned during all the administrations anterior
to Jackson's, and of employing these stations
as SO many prizes to be distributed among
the members of the triumphant party
in reward for merely partisan services
In its progression this custom has
grown into practice which subveris the
appointing power from what it was intended
to be by the founders of our political system
for, in most cases, the President and heads of
departments are only theoretically the deposi-
taries of patronage, while its real dispensers
are Senators, presentatives, and others in
high official station in the several States,
whose recommendations are very potential in
securing Office for their adherents. Every
Congressman is understood to exercise large
measure of authority in controlling the ap-
pointments to be made for his district. In
this way it often happens that an aspirant for
some high elective position secures his nomi-
nation by pledges of his influence to this aud
that man to obtain for them designated places
under the Government. Thus chicanery
and availability are made to operate in
the selection of candidates far more than
capability, integrity, and the welfare of the
people. Under such a deplOrable system,
fitness for the particular station naturally
and inevitably becomes less and less. a gov
erniDg consideration. Intellect and purity,
scoIniDg the creeping and crawling and arti-
flee which must ordinarily be practised to
reach Office, give way to demsgogues and
incompetents who have no such scruples.
Merely partisan machinery takes the place
which properly belongs to the unrestricted
voice of the people, and tends more and more
to bestOw emoluments and power upon the
least meritOriOus Of the community. The
| departments, the custom houses, the dock
yaIds, with all the multitudinous positions,
are transformed into nurseries of iDcompe-
tency, ineffciency, laziness, useless expense,
and downright defraudment, instead of being
what they really should be-fosterers of capa-
bility, efficiency, zeal, economy, and official
| honesty.
Every four years war is waged for the pos
session of the offices. The Presidential con-
test, while ostensibly founded on opposing
principles of policy aud measures of admins
tIatioD, receives it's vitalizing energies mainly
| from COuSlu6IdtlOu Vi epULS Ol :
That consideration multiplies the number o.
stump-speakers, augments the contributions
OF money to defray the expenses of mass
meetings, grand professions, and magnificent
demonstrations of other kinds. Party organi
cation is thus made to extend from the Office
Of town constable, in unbroken series, up to
President OF the United States. Under the
prevailing plan OF distributing the offices as
rewards for partisan services, elections are fast
losing their proper functions, and degeneratng
into fierce aud INSCRIPTIONS struggles for the
hOnors ana emoluments of the Government
When whole people become corrupted poll
tically, they become corrupted morally. As
our scheme of polity depends for its perpe
tuity upon the virtue, intelligence, aud p ,tri
otism OF our citizens, it is plain that every
thing which operates to debase and destroy
these props of representative institutions mus
he radically defective in theory and dangerous
in practice.
The present immense amount of patronage
within the gift of the General Government
certainly never could have been foreseen by
the founders of the republic, else they would