Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-11-30
Civil Service Reform.

The attention Of the country has recently
been drawn to the Reform Of the Civil Ser
vice by some striking illustrations of the cor.
rupting influence Of the present method Of
conducting the affairs Of government The
crying evil oftho country is governmental pat
rouage. We have in the employ Of the gov
eminent about fifty thousand officers in the
OWL Scryi,e. Whenever a Prcsiden, is
elected, it {, the theory and the practice to
rotate these employee. out, and put new
men in their places The President appoints
a new cabinet, certain prominent postmastcrs,
aud revenue officer, The head, Of the de.
partment. set up the guillotua in their re-
spcctiye domain, aud change their subordi-
mates The members Of Congress 20 through
their districts with the axe, chop of the heads
Of rosimasters. assessors and collectors
and agents, Of one sort and another, aud put
their special friends in their places. Thus it
happens that the business of the government
has come to he almost entirely one Of removals
and appointments to Office And these re-
moyals and appointments are all made on the
principle Of pcrpetuating the term Of Office Of
those who make them Hence, the great bu-
sine.s Of the country is politics and elections.
How to make the appointments so as to Sc
cure the greatest amount Of political influence
is the question which chiefly agtates the lead
ing officials Of government, from the President
down 10 the lowest officer who employs a
clerk. 1t is the vice Of the system Of appoint.
meut to civil offices, that it makes every Office
holder in the country a politician lie COM
ducts the affairs Of his office with reference
to his own or some other person. reelection,
or appointment The United States gov
crument becomes o mere gambling Office, aud
members Of Congress and heads Of depart.
ments, and postmastcrs, aud assessors and
collectors are political iobbcrs. Merit Ia.
nothing to do with appointments, but iuau
cnce, that ndefnabo thing which Is called
political influence, has everything to do will
them Merit must always give place to po
litical favor aud intrigue The real business
of the country, the care Of the State, Of ii
internal and foreign affairs, is wholly or par
tally neglected IN order to look after this o.
that election. The most moustrous and infa
nous jobs are put through, in order to pa.
for political influence All other cousidera
tions are swallowed up in keeping one set 0
men in Office, aud keeping another set out
All the movements Of government are mad
with respect to political effect Such is tn
general character Of our Civil Service System
The time has come for a reform. swcepm
and thorough reform. All appointments t
Office up to certain grade, should be durn
good behavior. No clerk, no postmaster, II
revenue officer, no government employee Q
any sort, whose tenure Of Office is not pre-
scribed by the Constitution, should be liabl
to discharge, or to lose his office, while h
faithfully meets is duties. The appoutmel
te Office should be taken entirely out of tt
hands of any Of the legislative officers of Ii
government, and vested in the executive d.
partment with suitable limitations and restr
tions. The change of the head of the gor
eminent should make no difference with an
proper and qualified employee. under hin
No official should lose his head for politics
reasons. So long as he performed his duti,
faithfully, his commission. should not be r.
yoked
Such a reform would put an end to the di
graceful party scrambles of the government
would give the President the Cabinet al
Congress time to attend to their lcgitima
business; would put an end to the dishonC
jobbing which now corrupts our national lie
isaturc would elevate the tone of ofhci
character and deliver our people from one
the most active causes Of political proaigac
venality and corruption, which ever work
to the detriment of civilized State
When our members of Congress shall
able to say what Mr. Mundela of the Britt
Parliament said the other day in New Yor
we shall behold the dawn Of our political I
generation and have hope of the future
the Republic. O. represent, said he d" one
the largest constituencies in the United kin
dom, and yet have no power to influence,
the smallest degree, the appointment of t
humblest revenue or customs officer in Eu
land, With Congress relocated to its lcgi
mate duties, and the tenure of all but t
elective Offices, or those not otherwise pr
vded for, made to be during good behayi
and fidelity to trusts, We could safely pred
much higher character for our civil scryi
and the gradual change in our public m,
from race Of politicians and gamblers
statesmen and honorable leaders Of the poop
Aud we venture to affirm now that the
sues of the war are dead, and the country
beginning to agitate the questions PERTAIN
to It's own welfare, that the party viii
pledges itself to the Reform Of the Civil S
vice of the country, will be the party of t
future If the republican party will ado
this reform, it will have continued succ
and will deserve it. If it will not, it "
speedily fall in pieces. The people are beg
ming TO open their eyes to these questions.
takes them some little time to get ia
aroused. But the time is not far dist;
when they will demand such change as
been intimated The old war cries are los
their power, and the watchword for the fut,
i, to be-" Reform aud Honesty in the put
service" There is silent aud growing
termination to clean out the Augean Stable
politics and We shall 6ud Hercules bye a
bye to do il.