The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-24

vinccd that the bulk OF the French people are
satisfied that. all things considered, their
destipies are safer in his hands than In the
hands of any other. The abolition OF the
LiUret system gives us key TO Napoleon's pre-
sent thoughts. The wOrkingmen on his side, he
knows he can control the elections. BY this
last move he has secured the workingmen, and
unless we greatly mistake, the elections will re-
suit in grand Ministerial triumph. We can
have no war until after the elections. II the re-
suit of the elections is to the Emperors mind il
win not be wonderful If the Empire again means
peace. If, however, the elections do not result
to the Emperor's entire satisfaction il is not at
all impossible that n bold effort will be made by
means of a foreign war, to destroy all opposi-
tion inside the empire The Emperor has a
magnificent army, which is spelling for q fight
lie Is not the man to refuse to use 1t, If TO use
1t will serve his purpose
THE REFORM OF THE CIVIL SERVICE.
From the NJ y Times.
Senators Carpenter of Wisconsin and Abbott
of North Carolina have been moving in the
matter of the civil service. We do not know
that they propose, nor how far they are infiu-
enced by any DESIRE to reform it, but certainly
they are not moving in the right direction. Mr.
Carpenters resolution requesting the heads of
departments to furnish the descriptive rolls of
the employees of the Government, with a view to
ascertaining what States they are from, and
who had them appointed, thus obtaining the
amount of patronage" enjoyed by each Sena-
tor and Representative, appears to have been
made in the interest of disappointed office
seekers and uninluential Senators. heinfluential
members will take good care to smother this
resolution, and it is one not worthy of considera-
tion by us, save as indicating very unworthy
spirit in our great reformers and law-givers,
and, we fear, the hopelessness of the civil SER
vice reformation.
But Mr.. Abbotts amendment is one that we
are sorry to see dsgracing the journal of a
Senate of this enlightened day. We sincerely
trust that the Senate will not as Mr.. Abbott
asks, declare as its opinion that ''the distribu-
tion OF official patronage, not embraced in local
offices in the State should be made, as nearly
as may be practicable according to representa-
tion and population; and that, to confine patron
age to any particular portion of the States or
sections, either wholly or partially, is unjust
and injurious"
There can be no honest or able civil service
such as this country needs formed on any such
ridiculous principle as the distribution of offices
according TO representation and population. 1t
is even more absurd, if not more unprincpled,
than the old Democratic practice of the distri
button OF Government offices spoils to the
victors; his party justified Mr.. Marcy in
enunciating his infamous precept but there
will be few, we imagine, of any party
to accept Mr.. Abbott's senseless declara-
ton. If the Government, in selecting its
servants, is TO consider, not their ability
and honesty and experience, but the
claims of the locality whence they date, then
the Government will secure a very inefficient, if
not very corrupt. set of servants. Mr.. Abbott S
resolution repeats an old heresy which we hoped
we had been educated to discard; we are salts
fled that the good sense of the people will lead
them to reject the false theory and discard the
Senators and Representatives who seek to
strengthen their position in their States by i'm
posing incompetent servants on the General
Government, and who sustain themselves with
| large by obstucting and weakening the admin
| istration.