Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-01-05
Civil Service RefOrm-A Picture
the L. S. Departments.

determination to make the Use Of governmental
patronage means of partisan contro! IN public
affairs and j party success IN political strife.
From that day to this the coruptlng influence
of such use Of the appointing power has been
constantly widening; reaching out INTO new CIR
cles. until there Is no backwoods hamlet 30 ob.
scure that its moral atmosphere has escaped
the contagion of the degrading hunt tor place
When President determines to use the pa
tronase 1T his disposal for i personal or party
purpose. it results practically in farming II out
10 members Of Cong ress. The influences most
useful and most formidable IN the Executive
are in Congress. Assuming purpose 10 main
tain what is known as i party rule. through
the usual subordnation OF rank and Importance
in the organization. the Congressman becomes
almost inevitably the most active and powerful
of the dispensers OF patronage since ne alone.
of the several Departments OF the government
is in Immediate contact with the people. and
has district To look after not TOO large 10 per
init general personal acquaintance with all the
more prominent and active Citizens and lpNtl-
clans in it, The practice ot' using the gltt Of
Offices for selfish or merely partisan purposes
could not and did not stop with the President
The Congressman who received his quota Of thr
patronage had his Own ends 10 accomplish with
it. = Running down the scale Of honor and
inheritance Of places. We find everywhere among
Selt-seeking mcn the same eagerneS> I" Use the
mower They have to ,er,etuate their tenure at
official life Sycophancy, adulatl"n., bribery
and all the rest of the loath>une catalogur OF
POLITICAL vices. thicken a. We descend TIL We
reach the rough doing the ballot >tutfllng or
the curb-stonc fighting for his party From
TOD 10 bottom the whole class Of politicians VII"
avnw the purIoSe Of keeping W The party H.;
the appeal Ia to the selfish desires Tor place aid
profit are bound together By the ccomln"n inter
est Of the ''ins Ia keep themselves III and L"
keep all others ont. -,
Out Of this kind OF education comes the wall
ngneSs 10 pay assessments Oh SALARIES without
rebellion Men Of good character IN >Hb"rdl-
nate places learn to say with passive Suhlnl>-
sion. NV tamily'S bread depends upon my re-
tanning my place. and We had better have the
half-loat than No bread asking II" Questions Tor
c,,n>irnce> sake Is t" what l. done with the
rest, This j. VIVA, ha, made il possible that
vulgar ruffian. clothed with the rank ola
United States Marshal. could stand At the pay
table Of Custom House and see II il that the
party tax was ncxorably deducted then and
there. by the Government officer. from the
monthly salary Of each clerk and INSPECTOR. H.
he stepped ur for his ul1ney and rccepted Tor
More than came intn his hands.
This too. is what has made 1t l"'>>!b!c. under
another and better PARTY administration, Tor
the pay officer in the Capitol I" inform clerks
doorkeepers. PAGES and tndingboy that they
were .'dncked - mulch 1T their salaries by
order of party committee. FINALLY 4 long
course Of this education. that benumba the NOR
al sense. has made it possible for committees nj
the party Of purity and REFORM Ia throw away
even the thin disguise which had before test
fed 10 respect TOR public opinion and 10 ad
dress circulars to Government employees levy
ing in form ALI income tax not Known 10 the
statute book
The Departments have been made the aSy-
lum for the worthless and incompetent drpen
dents of persons of influence. who have often
received their pay without giving any return
for il. because the head of the division or Blu
reau could not entrus, them with the simplest
clerical durv This has often extended IL cases
in which the grosseSt and most offensive i'm,
moralities have been shielded and protrs'cted
hv that uerSonage 81 potential in " aShlngt"n
''the member from this district. An instance
may be taken from the experience Of the Chief
of an important Bureau. as given By himself.
He had division Of clerks Of genera fair char
acrer among whom were heads Of families Of
high and even religious morality.
Into this division. by the influence Of prom
inent member Of Congress. was introduced l
man who proved II be not only Of little use Is
clerk but ~ vantoniy and Extensively obscene
in his common conversation as 70 outrage the
feelings Of every decent man. and II provoke
from his feow-clerks general Renaissance
against his being allowed 10 relnain. The head
Of the bureau recommended his dismissal on
the double ground of general incometenc!y and
gross immortality. The Congressman. with tu!!
knowledge Of the facts. opposed and for >"m!
time succeeded in preventing the removal : and
when. at last upon the earnest and energetic
instance Of the chief Of bureau. the fellow. was
finally disposed Of. il was on y To remove HIM /"
another bureau. and the officer who had pro,
cured it To be done Was abused and prosecuted
by the member whose patronage had been
intertered with.
10 the civil service. completed y and thoroughly
the plain principl es Of the common business al
ministration Ia separate the public offices 40
Solutely and forever. from all tav"ritl>m. ncpot-
ism. and influence 10 declare patronage in
all its forms to be anti-repubhcan aud danger
Gus 10 the States {: IL ind and practice upon 2
principle Of selection for Office which shall give
every citizens Of The country perfectly e4ua!
chance II prove his CAPACITY and fitness for the
public service. and to obtain :. position III ii
when he has made the proof with thorough IN
dependence Of President Secretary. or Con
gresham and simply and sole y because Of his
citizenship and his itnes> 1t is further T."
adopt in the permanent civil service a tenure Of
office during good behavior. with the hope Of
rising To the highest grades Of the routine scr
vice bv inIuStrr and strict devotion Ia duty. In
brief the principle to be adopted Is admission
to the civil service only upon the results Ola
competitive examination open 10 all. and dis
mission only upon a>certaned failure Of capacl-
" or character
Congress.
In the Senate yesterday the resolution Of IN
quiry into the alleged connection of Senator
Sprague with blockade runners in Texas during
the war wasreterrcl II 1 special committee. Nr.
S,,,,.,'. ..-,l,,,;.,, .,ll;pr nm Nh. pr.si1,.,t