New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-03-20

the conscience Of the King, and who regards
Liberal as pest to society, and religious
freedom as an abomnatiOn of desOlatiOn.
CIVIL SERVICE IN THE CUSTOM-HOUSE.
If any man needs an illustration of the
weakness and intlrmities Of the Civil Service,
as at present conducted, he may find con-
spicuous example in ex-COlectOr Murphy, as
he pOrtrays himself. This gentleman has been
on the witness stand for three days. and
though his constant effort has been to hide
his head in the sand of his evasiOns and
bubbles, he has been constrained to make
large exhibition of his own httleness and the
utter decentralization which marked the whole
system while he was Collector of the Port
We have no desire to renew our consideration
of the ex-COllectOr as partisan; but no man
can look on the repulsive picture OF chicane,
intrigue, and cheating which he reveals, all
unconsciously, without feeling of disgust for
the system which made him possible and
afflicted the commerce Of this great city.
This man, destitute of experience, and never
having any broad perceptions of the duties or
Collector of the Port, was put into an Office
which commanded some of the most delicate
and most important interests OF the trading
mart of the Republic. 1t was in his power to
check the streams of commerce, to harass
and annoy importers. exporters, and passen-
gers. and to block the wheels of many enter
prises of pith and moment. 1t was also posi-
BILE for him to enlarge and lberalize COM
merce, encourage foreign and domestic
trade, assist in the development OF
various legitimate but struggling ventures,
and win high name among the merchants
of the port for intelligence high-mindedness,
perception of the needs of the business COM
munity, and dignity of his own Office What
was the real result The hating, cOwardly,
and hestating evidence of the person whom
the President saw fit to dismiss with exalted
compliments, is sufficient answer. To his
mind, the CustOm-hOuse was merely a
machine to run Ward Conventions, give re-
fuge to political pensioners, and control the
personal politics of the State. Instead OF
studying the commonest laws of trade, he was
combining tricks in the ward meetings; he
had no time TO become familiar with the
Treasury Regulations, because he was 30
busy housing among the laborers who might
have politics of their own; he could not tell
if the forty eight hour rule obtained in Gen
eral Orders, but he knew exactly what COrri-
gan was about, and what trick would most
annoy John V. Gridley he was not sure
whether the Naval Office had found q
discrepancy of million dollars in Custom
house accounts, but he had distinct
recollection of paying $400 to give dinners to Ia
borers whose votes he wanted at primary /;
no could not remove THAT young man,
elect" even though the press denounced
him as rascal and the President adj
mitted that he ought to go; but he could
pounce upon small people i'll the Custom
house because they were in the way OF
his own personal intrigucs. But why multiply
illustrations? The case, as made out by Mr..
Murphy, is bad enough; the Odor wherewith
it smells TO heaven cannot he mistaken. 1T IS
a sample of the whole system which made
him possible and tolerates the continued ex-
| istence of similar men. Murphy is the type OF
the men who are destroying the Civil Service
| of the country.
But the most disc0uraging part of this
| wretched business is the Jealous pcrtinacity
with which the weak, constituencies man was
| kept in the place which he never understood,
| and was finally dismissed with encOmiums
| which could have never been lavished by this
| Administration on the most eminent public
men. This coarse, illiterate, ucultured man
was put into a place for which he was utterly
unfit, and was only reluctantly removed when
| the scandal became too great for longer en-
durance, endangering even the perpetuity of
the power of the present Administration. And
this companion of the President, counted
good fellow in the high quarters
whence he had his commission, would have us
believe that he went out of Office with the
afiectionate remembranccs of the Chief Magis-
trate, as though it were possible for him to
inspire confidence from persons who were not
as gnOble and narrow asI he. How can there
be any reformation of the Civil Service so
long as such a state of things existsf What
dependence can be placed on assurances of
reform while Mr.. Murphy is only one of many
improper, indecent and vicious appointments
We look to the work Of the appointing power
for evidence of its good intention. The New
York CustOm-hOuse gives us nothing in an
swer but shame and humiliation.