The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-05

table setting forth the number of removals Oh as
sessors and collectors of internal revenue IN eaon
State in the Union. Altogether the numb1r ol
sucb officials reaches 4S9, and up to the close OF
April I1o assessors and 1872 collectors ba1 been
disnloced bv President Grant-a total of 2l1 o.
inst one-balf of the entire number In some Of
the leading States such as Ohio, Indiana, llli-
nois and Massachusetts,, changes have been
made in not more than one-third of the Offices,
while in other States the removals have been
even more unfrequent. OF this latter class
New Jersey presents notable instance, only
two of the ten revenue officers within its border
having thus far been disturbed. This inequality
of course, involves a dsproportionate share of
removals in the other States. In the South the
axe has been especially active and almost
clean sweep has been made; while in the two
greatest States in the Union, Pennsylvania and
New York, the proportion of removals has been
very large. OF the as assessors and collectors in
Pennsylvania, "a more than two-thirds-have
been changed, l8 assessors and 10 collectors
having given place to President Grants ap-
pointees. In New York there are O. assessors
and collectors; and 10 Of the former and 16 of
the latter-a total of 35, or more than one-half-
have been ousted
Thus in about one months time fun half of
ternal revenue has undergone total transfor-
nation involving the removal of not less than
20O0 persons, and the appointment of an equal
number in their places. To appreciate the mag
tude of the interests involved in this illustration
of the practical workings of the rotating system,
we must glance at the figures representing the
amount of money which passes every year
through the hands of this official brigade, and
remember that in the case of nearly every new
appointee a man entirely inexperienced in the
business has the people in his power. That the
great majority of the persons entrusted with the
collection of the revenue by the President, di-
recty and indirectly, have entered upon
the discharge of their responsible duties
with an acknowledged reputation for honesty,
we hope we are justified in believing. That q
correspondingly great majority of those whose
opportunities for plunder have been terminated
availed themselves of these opportunities to the
fullest extent, we are forced to believe. The i'm
mediate removal of all such officials was not only
justifable, but necessary, and their retention in
Office would have been a downright outrage
upon the people who have so long been their
victims But just here lies the point of the
argument in favor of a radical reform in our
civil service. The mere fact that any reason
abe-minded person can justify the removal of
|VOO OlhSltiS III IL olLSlC DIitllCu vi tlC govern
mental service within a single month on the
ground either of eXpediency or necessity, shows
how inherently wrong is the system which has
become fastened upon the nation. If
ordinary business discretion and care had been
taken in the original filling of these offices, as
the world goes for honesty and capacity, not
one change in twenty would have been either
necessary or eXpedent. 1t is simply because
honesty and capacity were not made the tests of
qualification in the first instance, that people
who desire to these elements of character
impaired to our civil service can look with COM
placency upon these wholesale removals. And
simply because honesty and capacity have not
been. and could not be, made the sole tests of
qualification in all the appointments of Pres-
dent Grant, our present civil service with all the
improve ment it displays when brought into COM
parison with its rottenness under the last
administration, is far below that of almost every
other civilized government in respect to the ele
ments of purity and efficiency. The whole
trouble results from the application of the ini-
quitOus maxim that ''To the victors belong the
spoils." When we are thoroughly and entirely
rid of this Jacksonian legacy, and not until then,
may we anticipate a change for the better; and
the only way in which we can be rid of it is by
the establishment by authority of Congress, of
a regular civil service, modelled upon that of
England, France, and the other countries of
Europe.