The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-01-26
9 H A r L E S TON \.
TUESDAY MORNING. JANUARY 2e, 1869.
The .PubItc Service.

| The Public Service.
Without pretending to more intimate
acquaintance with the Civil Service bill
than is enjoyed by most Of our readers, and
| without denying that some notifications
may be necessary to conform it to the re-
! quirements of the constitution, we have no
hesitation in saying that it is an eminently
wise and wholly practical measure
| The argument of Mr.. Logan, that it is
unrepublioan to give office to the most
worthy and to keep officials Of this sort in
the public service, if it were true, would
be an objection, not against the bill, but
against republicanism ITSELF It would
prove that democratical form of govern
ment was incompatible with the good con-
duct of national affairs and the welfare of
the people at large. General corruption
alone calls for frequent changes in Office,
and these changes increase the evil. AS
Esop's fex, crouching in the water and
beset by swarm of gnats, begged the
swallow not to drive away his tormentors
lest more hungry multitude should take
their places, 80 might the public plead that
| thef blood suckers, already half satiated,
might be allowed to remain.
In this country we have suffered, every
way, from the operation Of the doctrine Of
Jackson, that "to the viotors belong the
''spoils." The meaning of this expression,
now unhappily become proverbial, is that
public office is public plumber; that it is q
rotten borough of patronage; rich recon-
pense for political service; salary rather
than an employ; motive to the lower pas
sions rather than charge upon the con-
science;aa personal promotion rather than
civil function. One thinks of a special
Providence when he observes that this sys-
tenn, so atrocious and carried on 80 long,
has not wholly ruined the country. And
It is not q day too soon for us to ssoesse
tempting Providence" The sooner we
sheer off from the edge Of the preoipice
the better. We are not safe, until political
alliances are subordinated to personal
qualifications for ofice-the aim of Mr..
Jenckes' bill. l~
3 AS Mr. Baldwin remarks, in his sketches
of "Party Leaders," the spoils doctrine was
and is the most effective engine of party.
ttestablishes communication over the whofss
country; it gives an interest to thousands
in the success Of an administration; it Sc
cures score Of supporters, Decides fur
nishing them with the means of offence and
assault; it makes the oficeholder's place Of
business party barrack and himself er
c6Scio drill sergeant and recruiting officer,
and supplies him with the material for OBJ
tanning recruits, and instituting and perfect
ing organization. 1t brings the passions
into effective play in politics But after all,
the principle of the system is radically
wrong. As we see every day, fidelity to
party is not incompatible with infdelity
TO conscience and honor. The oficsholder
should be less a servant Of his party than
servant Of the public. He should be a
man Of capacity and integrity, rather than
q speech maker and q wire-puller. ,rtr"
But, indeed, republioanism is so far from
requiring the maintenance Of the present
aystem, that 1t rather ne essitates its abro.
cation. Ofice now depends upon patron
age, and patronage is the necessary out
growth Of the monarchioal principle. The
sovereign appoints officers to carry out his
will. If they do this, they have satisfied
their official responsibility. On the con-
trary, o republic requires Of its officers
service to the people, It is intolersnt Of
sinecurists, and should be Of harpies. II
should do precisely what Mr.. Jenokes now
roposes--exclude the whole class Of in
competents from the possibility Of nomina,
tion, The project would be worthy Of ap-
proval, IL even small intere.te wsre at stake
OF what transcendent imp portance to q gov.
ornment which gives sixty thousand com
missions (! nS,'@,~e* vs.
In such an emergency the spoils doctrine
Of President Jackson, and the political clan
trap OF Mr.. Logan, will not answer. There
should be Preparations and examinations
for office among U.S., as In Prussia, from
whose code the bill Of Mr.. Jenckes is un-
derstood TO havs been, in substance. copied..
Weeneed all the safeguards adopted >by- Eu.
ropean governments, whom we hsye now
learned to rival In the weight Of taxes and
| the complications Of fnsnce. And thera Il.
no question but that we are meroilesalr
Min dArnd IN ayay&v houS eNi - :. -, u