The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-06-23
Mr.. Jenckes Civil Service Bill.

By mere oversight we omitted to
quote in our last issue some of the best
remarks of a writer in Harpers Maya
zine in favor of Mr.. Jenckes Bill, and
give the same now. being fully satisfied,
that they contain the truth and nothing
but the truth although very probably not
the whole truth:
Down to the end of the second
Adams term, subordinate officers were
chosen with great care on the ground OF
their fitness and retained their places
although their party lost power, without
single removal except for good cause.
But the advent of jackson to the Presi-
dency-who seems to have dropped with
his military career It's ideas of discipline
and fair advancement-ushe in new
era in American politics-an era in which
party strife took final leave of dignity
without regaining fairness, learned to
satiate rancor through intrigue. and sac
rifieed public virtue to success. The
journals and correspondence of the day
are filled with instances Of the disgust
and dismay inspired by the innovation
of sweeping removals from Office on the
| avowed ground of opinion only. No
dark oath ever bound accompllces more
strongly in conspiracy than the single
tie of party fealty linked their creatures
with the chiefs and managers who then
rose to power. To that day and to those
men-though the author of the infamous
| invention is uncertain-we owe that di
vice of blended threat and boast, "To
the victors belong the spoils," which
Haunted like pirate flag over their at
tack upon the institutions Of their coun.
try. Never did political quarrel borrow
| from the dialect of war a more immoral
rallying-cry. The famous maxim of DIES.
potism, Quid 211ilcipi placut legis habel
vigorena,' fitted in its slavishness the
temper of the times that suffered it; but
this bandit pass word gave the lie to
that equality of right and freedom of
thought from which party in modern
days is supposed to spring.
A synopsis is next given of the bill Of
Mr.. Jenckes, which receives very high
praise, and some of the objections ur ged
against it are answered more or less sue
cessfully. The writer concludes as fol
lows:
Sooner or later it must be carried out.
The people of the United States must
either confess their inferiority in practi-
cal good sense to all other nations, OF
they must redeem their administrative
system. That reform will save revenue
and tighten taxation it will paralize the
hand of the public thief, and stop the
political bully wages; it will speed des-
patch, perfect accuracy, and lessen cost
in the transaction of the public business
it will open an honorable career to tens
Of thousands of young men and women
who will gladly fit themselves to serve
the state when honesty earns place and
diligence can keep it for life. By that
reform the strongest bond connecting the
carbon of the lobby with the living body
of the Legislature, will be cut asunder
the great departments that share SUI
preme power among them will again
work, each in its limited sphere, without
discord or encroachment official virtue
will cease to be by-word, and private
faithlessness lose the excuse it takes from
public laxity. State administrations may
mend by the example, and the overthrow
no longer seem hopelass of the klepto
cracy that tramples our great cities I'm
der its satyr hoofs. For the first time
we shall stand in the brotherhood of ma
tons equals of all the rest in mutua
knowledge and intelligent intercourse
and for the first time justify our boast
of model republicanism, as common
wealth ruled by common-sense and com
mon virtue OF two fatal presents made
by the Old World at our birth, we have
cast away one, the slavery which beliec
our political theory, before the first cen
tury of national life ended; the second
will be nobly begun by the perfect prac
We reject the other evil gift of patron
age.