The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-16
SPIRIT or Tzn PRESS.
Editorial Opinions Of the Leading Journals
upon Current Topios-CompiIed Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
CIYIL.SERYICE REFORM.

off the shackles of Office and regained the in
dependence of private life. This remark, how
ever, cannot be applied to Hon. Jacob d. Cox
whose article in the last number of the
North american ReoteU on "The Olvil-Service
Reform" has given such an excellent impulse
to public thought and discussion-be he
has rendered the State, while still in early
manhood, most valuable services, both civil
and military, and because Office has been no
impediment to his efficiency. The moment
it threatened to become so he left the Office
No man, therefore, is better qualified,
either by ability, character, or expe-
rience, to unfold the evils of that
official system of patronage which, welded
for partisan and personal purposes,
has become an enormous and malignant
goitre on our body polite, the removal of
which becomes the great political duty of the
times. An outcry, of course, will be raised,
in certain quarters, that Mr.. Cox is an inte-
rested party to the question under discussion;
that, frustrated in some of his plans while
in Office, or otherwise 80 disciplined as to
occasion his retirement, he has transferred to
the public the dispute which went against
him in the Department of the Interior. His
reputation, however, is so strong he can
afford to disregard all such insinuations a
these, while the people will do him the JUS
tioe-all he probably asks-to take his state
ments and arguments SO far as they are sus-
ceptible of substantial verifcation.
AS an exhibit of the evils of the resent
office-holding system we do not know that
Mr.. Cox's article gives anything particularly
new or startling. The facts have long been
known to the public we might say too we'll
known, for in every part of the country,
down to the smallest school district, indi-
viduals are found who have assisted in pull
ing the wires of the great corruption batteries
at Washington. Many people, sesing the de-
plorable results of the present appointing
system and despairing of a remedy-have
been content to pass the whole question by
on the other side-evinoing the same disposi-
tion which good men often exhibited in the
days of slavery, and which is now frequently
manifested in regard to the Mormon ques
tion. What was wanted, therefore.
was a bold, conscientious man to
hold this subject up in the sunlight and
compel the people to look at it. This Mr..
Cox was the man to do, and he has per-
formed his duty WELL His article traces,
although in outline, yet vividly and impress
lively, the chain of abuses, flexible, but tough
as a snakes vertebre, which binds the pre-
sent official system together. Thus, Presi-
dent of the United States-and he does not
of course refer to the present Executive
bent upon securing re election, neglects his
high duties to stock the national offices with
mercenary politicians who cannot be expected
to become good public servants. AS he per-
sonally knows the names of but very few
of the people of the Union, the members of
Congress of his own party naturally become
his Office brokers; and having their own
election to pay for, and perhaps their next
election to secure, and offices to their de-
pendants being the acknowledged legal
tender in both cases, they can hardly be dis
interested operators. Under these circum-
stances Oongressman's idea of useful off,
Ger, when he recommends new name to any
one of the Departments is one useful to him,
and not to the public service; and the ap-
pointee, if he becomes such, does not rely for
retention and advancement SO much upon his
own worth as upon the gracious favor of ''the
member for his district. Then follows the
result-poor officers not likely to improve SO
long as they remain in office; terrible neglect
and mismanagement of the public business,
whether routine, executive, or legislative;
and constant play and interchange of cor
ruption upon the people of this Union, to
have withstood which SO well as they have
gives one the proudest right to boast 81 am
an American Citizen"
The remedy suggested by Mr.. Cox is brief
but sweeping, being mainly one of competi-
tive examination, both for the admission of
now members to the civil service and the pro-
motion of those already tried. This, it will
be seen, involves the entire divorce of the
service from the control of partisan politics,
otherwise the competitive examination,
wherever lodged or however applied, would
be but farce. We have not the least doubt
that il is in this direction that the reform is
to be sought. Any specific measure that
gives this, whether it is based upon Mr..
Jenckes' bill or Senator Schurz's, win be inf
nitely preferable to the present system, fol
it will relieve the corrupting congestion at
Washington, fed by and reacting upon the
whole country. To pse the words of Mr..
Lowe, the British Chancellor of the Ex
chequer, it will Withdraw patronage from
the dominion of party and give it to thu
people.
Still, whom the time comes for maturing
such a measure-and come it must befor
long-there are some considerations, no
directly treated by Mr. Cox, that should b.
taken into account. We will mention three
First, a new line will have to be draw
between what may be called political an,
non-political offices. On the one ham
it may be asked, If an inspector or weighe
and gauger in a custom house, or the severa
grades of clerks in a department., ar
all to pass through the gate of competi
tive examination, why should not the Col
lector or Head of the Department? On TIA
other hand Will it answer to cut off all tn
rewards of political activity now found i
''' the civil service? Would there not be les
vsting than there is now, less interest in pol
tics, less political education-objects of 81
preme importance in a republic? 1t is necef
sary that our civil service should not only b
- clerically pure and efficient, but that it shoul
not be wholly divorced from current publ
opinion. In this point of view it might b
- advisable to make certain offices hithert
filled by appointment, like post offices, elet
nutive. Secondly, no matter how we'll
competitive examination of applicants. fC