Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-12-27
MONTPELIER, VT,
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 81, 1871
The Report oil the Civil Service Com
mission


the civil service Of the country, made by the
civil service commission, and adopted by the
President, to 60 into effect the LIST Of Janu-
airy. We also print a brief abstract Of the
able argument Of the commission in support
Of the conclusions which they reached and
we only regret that we have not space for
the whole of the report We believe we
have \ right to assume, however, that the
readers Of the FREEMAN DO not need argu
Incnts in support Of civil service reform
that they arc already persuaded not only
that it is practicable but that it is absolutely
essential to any honest administration Of
public affairs and that they vii. be rather
concerned to know whether the report Of the
commission is likely TO inaugurate q genuine +
reform, than to see the arguments in support
Of such reform.
we say without any hesitation, and with
the greatest satisfaction, that the rules recon-
mended by the commission, if enforced in
the spirit Of reform, and sustained heartily
by the people, seem to u to 90 great way
toward redeeming the civil service from the
wretchedly and corruptly partisan and Polit-
zeal character it has so long had, AMI through
which it has become 50 debauched and de-
mordlized We understand, 70 be sure, that,
as the subject now is considered, the measure
proposed BY the commission, and having the
PRESIDENT apparently hearty endorsement,
is not needed strictly in order to bring in the
reform. There was no absolute need Of
commission and nearly years labor Of half
a-dozen men to ascertain that the civil
service needed reforming, and that it could
be reformed by the president. The proposed
measure confers no new power on the presi-
dent 1t only shows how the old appointing
power may be exercised in a way u reform
the service in the future and no legisla-
ton of Congress is really asked or needed
except to compel reluctant president to-
adopt these rules-and 50 Gen Grant only
suggests the propriety Of legislation to bind
his successors-the commission really dem
Onstratc that the responsibility for the
present condition Of things rests upon those.
from the president down, who have con
tro!ed appointments for all the years in
which the service has been growing worse
and worse. In other words, the report
clearly discloses that the only obstacle to
reform years ago was not the lack of power
TO bring it about in those who had appoint
ments at their control, but the lack Of dispo-
sition or courage to Danish politics and
personal lavoritism from the civil service.
And this report Of the commission with its
rules and regulations viii be of no more
value than a newspaper editorial. iii indeed
they have as much vaIue,-unles7 there shall
be found the spirit Of reform not only sin
cerely using the rules to secure that end,
but ntelligently using them for that pur-
pose.
And there should be no misunderstanding
Of the universally Of the application Of these
regulations. Let it be clearly seen that the
commission denounce all partisan or political
use of the civil service; and their rules are
framed, so far as it Is possible perhaps to
express such a purpose in language applicable
To the civil service, to secure such a result
According to these regulations Republican
has no right, growing out of his politics, to
any Office under Republican administration
any more than Democrat with perhaps,
tho exception of such offices as require, for
their proper administration. that the in
cumbcnt should agree with the administra-
ton on political questions. \ minister to
foreign power must, Of course, DO in accord
with the administration in its foreign policy,
at least so far as its course toward the power
TO which such minister is accredited is con
cerned a member of the cabinet should be
in agreement with the President in his gen
cral policy, perhaps, (although Republican
Congress endeavOred to impeach johnson
because he tried to remove a Secretary of
War who didn't " support the adminstra-
ton y and the same is true Of few of
tho immediate advisers of the president and
the executive and administrative officers of
the highest grade; and these classes Of per
sons are enumerated in the thirteenth rule
recommended by the commission. But
beyond and outside Of these few officers,
politics and partisanship should be banished
from the whole civil service Of the nation,
and no man . tenure-0l-otice should be less
secure because he Is a Democrat nor his
chance for appointment greater because he is
a Republican. In other words, the cxamin-
ing boards and the appointing power, in
every stage Of their action in appointments
and removals, should be blind to tile politics
of the person whose appointment or promo
tion or removal is in question. This is the
full scope Of the recommendation 81 the
civil service commission and because il has
this scope it is entitled to the highest praise;
and because the President saws he will Give
it " fair trial . we award him great praise,
ana only reserve to ourselves the right to
watch with some anxiety and distrust We
confess, to see whether politics, and favorit-
ism now are banished from every department
OF the civil service.
We know there are great difficulties in the 4
way Of such a sweeping reform and we are
by no means certain that the greatest diff
Guilty is not in the custom which las been so .
long followed as now, in the opinion o many
If not most politicians, to have ripened into I
q right, to give all the Offices to the friends .
Of the party in power We fear that many
good Republicans even in Vermont would
lose some Of their partisan feryor for Repub-
lican principles, if they understood that no
service they could render the party, or anv
candidate of the party, would cntitIc them
to an Office, provided one fell vacant. that in
filling the collectorships, assessorships and
post Offices in Vermont the politics Of the
applicants was to be of no account and that
no person was to be removed from Office be-
cause he was a Democrat Yet this is the
reform prOuOsed and II now remains "a 10 !