New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-12-20
THE CIVIL SERVICE MESSAGE.

We shall DO able to estimate to better pur-
nose the absolute value of tho admirably
timed and tempered Message sont yesterday
nv tbe President, when thcre has been Opp0r-
tupity for careful consideration of tho work
which his Civil Service Commission has pre-
parcd, and no has submitted to Congress. Tho
preliminary outgivings, we fully confess, have
not been favorable. Mr.. COnkling has just been
teaching lis how to have an Investigating
Committee whose very constitution shall pre-
clude effective Investigations and there mas
seemed too much reason to fear that wo wcro
next to be taught how to have Civil Service
Commissions, and reports, and parade, and
poltical capital without any Civil Service Re-
| form. But let the plan of the Commissioners
DO fairly scrutinizcd and kindly judged.
| Meantime we gladly note the tardy dscov-
cry at the White House Of point wo have
| taken pains, in season md out Of season, to
enforce, viz: that the President himself has
| now, and has had, full md sufficient power
over tho whole question, without additional
| legislation. Our Civil Service has not been
| reformed, then, because the President has
! been awaiting tho csUrcly movements
| of his Commissioners. IIo hes all the
| while been in possession OF ample power,
| but the time has not seemed fn'ly ripe
| for the correction Ct the abuses which lave
| made the NJ Y. Custom-House n stcnch in
| tlc nOstris of our merchants. lie has ha'l
aInpc power to prevent tho employment OF
| unfit men because of their yalUD in ward
| caucuscs, end in tho manipulation OF State
Conventions to dismiss the shameless officials
who made active work from their sGbordi-
mates for q Senatorial faction the sole cohai-
| ton of remaining in the service OF thc Gov
| eminent; to abolish Mo General Order
| swindlc to mako Inert and hot Sena-
| tolial recommendations the test FOR ar-
| pontmcnts. Well; wo arc sorry 1t has rot
been sooner discovered; but VIC can pardon
much, if only now this power be- jud'tiouSly
exercised. Here in Ncw-York We have not
needed an imposing Civil Service Commits
sion and months Of stately dcliberation to
| fnd ont that all thtsc things were
within tho Presidents absolute con-
troll that his Collector was using
| patronage to control conventions, and his Col
ectors suhOrlinatcs were accepting brides
only because they were not made to sec that
such things would cost them their official
| heads that n word from him would, Mt any
| tine, have enforced n reform. Let us now ut
| least be thankful for the promise that on the
1T OF January, 1872 that word is to BE- sro.;eH'
Meantime, what does Mr.: Morton, who de-
clarrs we already have the bt5t Civil Service
in the world. think of these tarly efforts for
its rcfom7 Shall VIC hear his eloquent voice
| laundering against Message that favors
what ho has been pleased to call the creation
of an arstocracy in ohice9 What docs Mr..
| Conkling think of the Presidents haste
| to lay before Congress his scheme for
reforming service which tho Senator, week
ago, believed to require not even investiga-
toni How do all these self-electcd spokcs-
men of the Administration feel at
! tho Presidents haste to let Congress
and the country know that, instead of
being fairly represented by their foolish
opposition to investigation, he has wanted such
reform of tho fragrant evils Mcssrs. Schurz
and Trumbull and Sumner havo exposed as
shall reform them altogether 7-It is too soon
to rejoice over the Civil Service propositions,
! till we have had time to SEQ what they are !;
but we may already take comfort in the prac-
teal snub the President has given the Scna-
| torial zcalots who have wrought such mischief
| by their prconsc of representing him.