The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-01-17
Mlibbleburp Reeistsr
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TUESDAY. JAN. II. 1871.
The civil Service.

1t has long been the opinion of our
best statesmen, and the concurrent opin-
ion Of all honest citizens, whose minds are
not warped by the influences Of political
bases and personal ambitions, that the
civil service Of our country ought to be
reorganized and promotion in it should
be regulated by competitive merit, rath-
er than the present unhealthy method.
Among the many debasing influences
which tend to political corruption, under
our system Of government, none is more
powerful, or debasing, or more easily
remedied, than our habit of considering
the honors and emoluments of all petty
Offices in the civil SERVICE tho Legitimate
spoils of the victorious party.
The theory of our government is unex-
celled for beauty and perfection and it
is with pardonable pride that we celebrate
the nations birthday with a general hur-
rah and glorfcation of the " universal
yankee nation" A representative de-
mocracy, without the details and ma
chnery of imperfect, and often dishonest
men, is certainly our ideal of a govern
mept. But here is our weakness Men
are not the embodiments of perfection,
even though they possess the advantages
Of the highest type Of civilization, and
are citizens Of republican government.
Hence we find dishonesty in Office and
corruption in politics. This we have seen
so long that we have come to regard it
impossible to remedy the evil, and at
every election we blindly cast our ballots
for men and measures we cannot approve,
with the rather unsatisfactory reflection
"of two evils we will choose the least"
which may, or may not, be in accordance
r.
We do not aver that all the defects
and deformites of our political system
will be remedied by reform in the civil
service, but there is nothing more certain
than that the present method of appoint
ment and promotion is prolific source
of evil, which ought to be remedied be-
cause it may be without difficulty.
The civil service is not generally a
desirable place for anybody. 1t cramps
and belittles capabilities for business ac-
tivity. 1t cultivates false tastes 1t
lessons physical and mental vitality. Its
tendency is to contract the soul, which
should be expanded to meet the ever
increasing demands of progressive age.
And yet places are eagerly sought. Men
live and die in the narrowness Of the old
beaten path, and perhaps, imagine they
have freedom. And there are minds on
ly fit for it-poor, contracted souls, in
capable of development-learned fools,
with extensive requirements, but
utterly destitute Of practical wisdom or
judgment-and their proper position is
in the routine work of clerkships, post
Offices, &c. If all who may have render
ed service to some third rate politician,
lucky enough to get the most votes, were
learned fools, and honest withal, then we
might not deprecate their appointment so
much. But such is not the case The
veriest ignoramus and arrant knave may
now curse the service year after year,
with no remedy except in the reform Of
the system. The competitive system of
appointment and promotion would much
improve the efficiency, if not the morality
Of this class of officers; longer
tenure would be beneficial in the way Of
preventing many persons capable of
higher development from thus thwarting
the design of their Creator. And those
who have, through this agency, incapa-
citated themselves for activities of bust.
ness or professional life, would be provi-
ded with employment und a livelihood.
1t is matter Of regret that Jonckes'
friends enough to secure its passage The
bill now before Congress, we suppose, is
modification Of the former, though we
have not the text before u.s. and are un-
able to say definitely what are its provs-
ions. We hope the present session may
not pass without a revision and reform of
the civil service, and we are pleased that
the matter is under consideration, what
ever the form of the present bill may be-
Great Britain is in advance of us in
this matter. They are already making
trial of the competitive system, and we
hope our country will not be far behind.