, 1870-08-25
THURSDAY, AUGUST Is, 1870.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM,

from slI parts of the country there>a are
loud complaints, from the great body Of the
.'eer!s composing the Republican party,
against alleged unfair means resorted to by
Federal ofhce-holders to control Congress
sioual nominations. For the first time in
the history of the Republican party in
Illinois. this complaint has become so gen
eral as to threaten the success of the party
IN more than one District. It is alleged
that Collectors and Assessors Of Internal
Revenue, ani their subordinates, with Post
masters and special agents OF all kinds
iolding their Offices upon the nomination
If their Representative, have conspired to
'aek county conventions, and, by bribery
md corruption, and the use Of their official
patronage, and threats Of official vengeance,
ave forced, or tried to force, the nolnina-
ion Of the men to whom they owe their
cfice5. That this is true in many
lasts. il Ill parts Of the country, cannot
,e doubted. That many Representatives
I'VE !heit denominations to appliances Of
lis kind. mud not to any excessive de-
IRE of the public, is proved by the frequent
reflections OF members of Congress whose
ncaracitx and general wcrthlessuess are
notorious.
We heed not enter into aur discussion
5 to the facts Of any particular case. We
simply wish to call public attention to the
wrc.ehcd system by which Federal officers
are appointed, and the tenure by which
they bold their places The country is d.
viled into Congressional Districts, and each
Representative who agrees politically with
~ e administration in power, Claims. and is
generally allowed, the right to name all
the Federal appointments in his district.
S matter Of course, he appoints only
hose wEo have been Instrumental in secur-
-ing his OWL nomination an1 election. or
hose who are expected to d. SO hereafter.
The ofice-holde1s have no choice. If they
refuse. they know that the Representative
IAN have them dismissed. They are his
Instruments. They hold Office by his favor
alone, This system, which is now univer-
5al. Is degrading to the office-holder, and
% the Representative, and virtually de-
prizes the people of the right 10 select
eir OWL Representative. 1t is true, the
The people have the right to defeat the
candidate who thus forces himself Upon
.--em, but it is generally at the cost of
clectins political opponent, which they
never choose to do, except under the most
-eKasperatiuy circumstances.
It il due to truth to say that the fault is
II the System, aud not in the men who
happen 10 be temporarily prohting by it.
Any oihet men. placed in like circum-
stances. and huviug the same machinery at
hand would do the same. The reason
why We hear the outcry against it nov for
he first time is taa. the public attention is
no longer preorcrWed with the weighter
cons: lern,iuns OF war and reconstruction.
The sause evils existed before, but they
were not noticed They ere part and par
eel cf a vicious civil service system,
handed down to us by the old Democratic
party. aud no reform can be looked for by
1 mere change Ut Congressman. The only
2u1e is to be sound iu a change Of the sys-
tenn. Uaice-lold.rs of the class referred
TO must be appointed for some other cause
than tealty to the Representatives of their
districts: and must hold their places dur.
ing good behavior. The people will un.
der.tacd readily the great unwillingness Of
majority of memb rs of Congress to vote
for any law establishing different tenure
Tor civil Offices Such law would take
from them the means and appliances By
which they now are enabled to renominatt
and re-elect themselves. Such a law. by
dep1iving them OF tLtse personal depend
is IL their districts, would leave thu
question OF their reelection to the people
Tie time hAs come when the people
-Anzt demand a change. The routine off
RS Of the civil service must be put on {
different basis. Men should be appointed
to otticr on competitive examination
Once appointed, they should hold Office 8,
lous ns they prove worthy. Neddling Will
politics. in the partisan sense, should b
sufficient CAUSE Tor removal. The time TO
this reform has come. The abuse ha
reached that point when the people at
nle-sural!y deprived of tue right Of choos
iuo their own members of Congress. It
a ,nattrr for cougratu1ation that this eyi
- at Inst forced itself upon public atteu
tion in such nlunuer that it cannot u
logger ignored VI thrust into the back
ground.