The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-01-26
CHI A r L E S T ON
TUESDAY MORNING. JANUARY 26, 1869.
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-
ouirements 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
uurepublcan 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. 1t 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
lEsop's fox, crouching in the water and
bese. by swarm Of guats, begged the
swallow not to drive away his tormentors
lest more hungry multitude should take
their places, SO might the public plead that
the blood suckers, already half satiated,
might be allowed to remain.
In this country We have suffered, every
way, from tho operation of the doctrine of
Jackson; that 'to the victors belong the
"spoils." The meaning of this expression,
now unhappily become proverbial, is that
public Office is public plunder; that it is
rottan-borough of patronage; rich recon-
pense for political service; salary rather
than an employ; a motive to the lower pas
sions rather than charge upon the con-
science; personal promotion rather than
civil function. One thinks of special
Providence when he observes that this sys-
tenn, 80 atrocious and carried on so long,
has not wholly ruined the country. And
it is not day too soon for us to "cease
"tempting Providence. The sooner we
sheer off from the edge of the precipicc
the better. We are not safe, until political
alliances are subordinated to personal
qualifications for office-the aim of Mr..
Jenckes' bill.
AS Mr. Baldwin remarks, in his sketches
of "Party Leaders" the spoils doctrine was
and is the most effective engine of party.
1t establishes communication over the whole
country; it gives an interest to thousands
in the success of an administration; it Sc
cures a score of supporters, besides fur
nishing them with the means of offence and
assault; it makes the ofiiceholdcr's place of
business party barrack and himself ca
o6icio drill sergeant and recruiting officer,
aud 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 oficehoder
should be less servant of his party than
servant of the public. He should be
man of capacity and integrity, rather than
speech maker and wire-puller.
But, indeed, republicanism is SO fur from
requiring the maintenance Of the present
system, that it rather necessitates its abro-
CATION. Office nov depends upon patron
age, and patronage is the necessary out
growth of the monarchical principle. The
sovereign appoints officers to carry out his
will. If they do this, they have satisfied
their official responsibility. On the con-
trary, a republic requires of its officers
service to the people. 1t is intolerant of
sinecurists, and should be of harpies. 1t
should do precisely what Mr.. Jenckes now
proposes-exclude the whole class of in
competents from the possibility of nomina-
ton. The project would be worthy of ap-
provcl, if even small intere.ts were at stake
Of what transcendent Importance to gov
ernment which gives sixty thousand COM
missions
In such an emergency the spoils doctrine
of President Jackson, and the political clap
trap of Mr.. Logan, will not answer. There
should be preparations and examinations
for office among us, as in Prussia, from
whose code the bill of Mr.. Jenckes is ua
derstood to have been, in substance, copied
We need oil the safeguards adopted by Eu
ropean governments, whom we have nos
learned TO rival in the weight Of taxes and
the complications of finance. And there i:
no question but that we are mercilesslJ
| -1..-i..ad an auaru hand The nannilass