Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-05-05
fJatnhman s. Journal,
WEDNESDAY. MAY 5. 1869.
Executive Electromagnetic Remedy.

Exactly two weeks after the first Inauguration
Of President Lincoln, Member Of Congress ad-
dressed the following note 10 colleague
" Dear -- How on earth do you live
| am nearly used up--quite disguised by this
scramble after every little office. ] mean to run
away SOON
This by no means too emphatcally expresses
the discomfort and distress Of many Congressman
on the subject The writer Of that note was not
a man accustomed b shun laboro responsibility,
but quite the contmry. Had it been his duty to
TN every Office in his District, and fair share in
Washington and elsewhere, he would have done
it, but to he bcseiged by Gyeor ten times the mum
Der Of candidates necessary for all that, many Of
them strangers, many too impcriecty known,
and many too well known 10 warrant his favor
to be bescigcd by pleas Of poverty claims for per-
sonal service, promises OF personal iayors, threats
Of hostility, end sometimes even by bribery and
to be thoroughly sickened by the trickcry, du-
plicity and frauds that attend some of these con-
tcsts--and all this when it was not his official
business to fll the Offices, who will blame the
Congressman drumming away, and staying away,
mt least until his services were required hy those
who are responsible for the appointments? The
custom of many Congressman is the reverse it
is to stay to receive the papers Of the candidates.
to recommend as many as he can to reserve the
contested cases, and then to give his time at home
in holding open court at his chamber, or making
circuit Of his district. Some Congressman who
are less scrupul0us, iorestall candidates by filling
the Offices as soon as possible, farming them out
to iayorites, or repaying political and personal
oil e.
and Just here is the worst abuse Of the appoint
ing power. It is patronage it is trading in Of
fees it is buying and selling political power it
is corrupting both to Congressman aud candidates;
it is a gross perversion of the appointing power,
which ought to be rcmedied.
Two remedies have been proposed and the
first in order Of time is the civil service bill OF
Mr.. Jenckcs of Rhode Island, which proposes
substantially the same rule for certain civil APP
pointments that has long been applied to the mil
itary and naval The qualifications and charac-
ter Of the candidates are to beespecially regarded
fayoritsm ignored, and politics also far as may
be and when once a candidate has been admit
ted 10 Office, he is not to be discharged without
good cause, and it retained, his promotion is to
depend upon his merits 1t is an excellent scheme,
and If there lie virtue enough in the Executive
Departments to execute it faithfully, and in pub
lie opinion to sustain it against the camor OF
olHce-seekers, it will be grand step towards re-
form. We are glad to see that Mr.. Willard is
for this bill, and we hope Congress will
adopt it. But it will be a step only, as this bill is
limited to minor Offices, excluding all offices filed
by the President and Senate, and also excluding
all postmasters. Should this bill become law,
the opportunities for abuse will still be large
since not only the largest number Of officers, but
the most important also, are not subjected to the
rule of merit There still will be need for a REM
edy, and we find one promised by Senator Trum-
bull, by prohibiting Congressman from applying
to the Executive Departments for appointments
This is the purpose Of the promised bill, but the
bill itself has not yet been drawn, and probably
the Senator has not determined the details, or
whether he will 60 beyond simple prohibition.
We would gladly see an act of Congress making
it penal offence in a Congressman for asking any
Office, during his official term, for himself or for
any body else because, as Senator Trumbull has
truly said, the tendency is to impair the indepen-
dence of the Congressman in the discharge of his
official duty. 1t is in the nature of n bride, an
ilegitimate and improper influence at least, and
therefore deserves 10 be excluded or punished as
misdemoanor. But we cahnot help thinking
that Congressman may and ought to be useful ad-
yisers to the Executive, especially in reference
to candidates among their own constituents that
they may and ought to advise against the selec-
ton Of candidates untitled in character or quail
fcations, and to commend those who are known
to them to be worthy of confidence In this they
will well serve their own constituents as well as
the Government. How to do this, and yet avoid
the pest Of patronage, is the difficulty. by max
ing postmnsters elective, the largest number of
officers would be taken out of the Washington
caldron and this, with an extension Of the civil
service bill to ut least some of the offices filled by
the President and Senate, such as consuls and
sundry Offices in the Treasury aud Interior De-
partments, would go far towards the necessary
reform. In the meantime, the President and
Secretaries can do much by protecting thorough
ly tried and good officers, whose integrity has
been proved and paying special attention to the
character, habits and qualifications of candidates
fQr places that are to he filed Indeed, the Pres
ident and Secretaries will be the men to do, and
this the way Of doing, the best work, whatever
may be the reforms enacted by Congress