The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-01-27

Office be less careful of his own at juncture
80 Inviting, on the eve OF presidential cam
paign Would he not be able-barTing any
mistake he might make In his Judgment Of In.
dividual men-lo appoint an advisory board
and board Of examiners who would Oe quite
as fully 10 accord with his purposes as are the
rest of the appointees Of the administration
The mere technical restrictions set down In
the rules are like the technicalities of other
"rules and regulatIoDsn-easy to be slnrTed
over by judges who aim 10 serve superior OF
to repel an Inwelcome candidate for honors.
But this contrivance fur civil service reform,
though it may suit the Presidents purpose,
does not suit that of his demagogue friends
In Congress. These thick,and thin parlisans
of his in respect to other measures, kick
against this one. Why Because the effect
Of the new rules and regulations, which vest
the appointing power solely ~ IN me ,ne Presaens
that power entirely from the hands Of senator's
and congressman. and deprive the latter of
all direct Influence with the Executive In the
line of appointments. There Is, where the
shoe plDchee, and 1t Is not perhaps an unfor-
tuuate thing that the accommodations Oh the
civil service commission are serving to draw
ont The sentiments of selfish Republican poll
iicians in Congress on this question and
10 oppose to them the arguments of states
men. On the one hand, Senator Carpenter
a LAWYER, O humorIsf, and nothing more
makes the new rules the excuse for gen.
eral attack on the proposition for civil ser.
vice reform. On the other Side, Senator
Trumbull, who unites with the reputation CT
an eminent lawyer the fame of courageous
and INDEPENDENT statesman-regards any step
towards reform OF the civil service as so much
gained to righteous cause, and to be hailed
with encouragement until further advance
can be made In the same direction. 10 tne
battle which Is only Just begun this issue ls 10
be kept plainly in vlew-the Issue between
the demagogues who want to.retain their I'M
finence" at home and at the White House by
means of patronage, and the better class Of
Congressman who can afford TO rely, for their
Influence in both localities, upon their princl.
piles, their abilities and their energy as mani
tested in the legitimate service OF their con-
stituents and the country.
1t now seems unlikely that the new regula-
tIons can run the Congressional gauntlet With
ont material revision. They have already
been opposed In the Senate by Carpenter and
Morton, and other Republican senators will
probably speak against theE. In the House
they will be attacked by Butler, Shellabarrger,
Bingham and lesser Republican guns. Two
Thirds of the members of both branches OF
Congress are thought to be inimical 10 what IS
dubbed the s'schoolmaster's reform" But II
ls equally unlikely that opponents OF civil SER
of Mr.. Curtis and his associates as an excuse
to jeer the subject out of the way: They Will
have to meet the question OF civil service re-
form suuarely on its real merits. Evidently
the requirements of scholarship and OF the
ability to paes competitive examination 10
certain branches of learning are not the
surest tests, especially IN TINS - demoeratlc Is
public offices. Mr.. Carpenter certainly
did enhance our appreciation OF thls
absurdty by citing the fact that merchant
profoundly experienced in conmerc1ll ana
mercantile affairs who should apply, for in-
stance. for the colectorship OF the port oil
New York would probably be dislanced IN
'.competltiYe examination" under the present
rules by some graduate fresh from Yale:
The evil consists not not so much In lack or
intelligence among the people from whom
ofice-holders are drawn, as IN the debaslng
system OF political favorllism which prevails
Whatever want of capacity may be felt in The
public service springs directly out OF TINS sys:
lem of political favorttism. The stuthng or
the departments at washington, OF inc Gus.
tom house at New York, and OF otner omces
at The disposal of the government Win men
who OCCUPY sinecure positions, or who are
unable to properly discharge their duties,
is In most instances the plain result oil
importantly OF the Executive by Congress,
men. So long as appointments 70 anu
tenure of Office are understood 70 oe tne re-
ward OF political service, that kind Of service
will continue to be paramount to ability ana
the faithful discharge of his official duties by o
pubic officer. Such system enables Doth
The Executive and members of Congress 10
shield themselves behind each other. 1t Is
ofIen difficult to afflx to either the RESPONSE
bilIty of O bad appointment. The Executive
lakes refuge behind the wing OF legtslaLor,
who may have recommended Inc act. Ine
legislator, If hard pressed, can Dodge nnder
the Presidents official coat-tails. and eXclaim
to hjs amazed constituents, 'Th0u cans't not
say I did it!n II 1t was as clear IN all mems
minds to. dsy as Senator Schurz has endeavor-
ed to make it clear, and as the New YORK IN.
yestisalion will probably prove, that President
Grant was directly responsible for the general
order swindle, and that he was not at al CO.
creed or blinded in the matter by Congress
sional influence, newspapers could scarcely
protect him from general indlg nauon;, ,,,,
The problem IL, how to break up lnis con-
yepient, demoralizIng colluslon between
members OF Congress and the Executive, re.
mand to the latter constitutional RESPONSE
bIlly which he could Ia nowlse shlrk or shit,
and give 10 the people their Just influence ID
the matter. Nay, the problem also is, now 60
effect the needed immediate reform OF the
civil service, which the evidence OF tne past
few mouths has shown Is too rotten TO wait
for a prospective cure. If I am not greatly
mistaken many gentlemen In Congress who,
like Mr.. Trumbull, honestly desire TO nd them
selves of the annoyance and Importantly from
ofice-seekers which they suffer under the pre-
sent system viii ask, with that senator, why,
If q real civil service reform Is Intended, and
If a board OF examiners ls 10 decide upon the
fitness of applicants for Office, that board
should not also be authorized 10 60 into lhe
departments now, enter every branch Of the
civil service, aud inquire who ill the
offices, whether there are any snperDumera-
rles, as The testimony In New York Is disclcs-
ing,men who receive appointments and draw
salaries and render no services to the country"
There are gentlemen who, like that senator,
will ask why President Grants civil service
commission not only neglected To recommend
This course. but likewise neglected to protect
honest aud capable oflce.nolders by recon,
mending uon-removal from office for limited
peliod except Tor cause. But who believes that
these pointed queries will have any other effect
than to irri,ate that large body OF Republican
senators and Congressman who for obvious
reasons desire no change whatever tn the ex-
isliug system OF civil service? These men are
already scouting what has been brulted as
President Grants pet scheme. Are they :
who include The Presidents stannchest pari-
saus-to be considered In actual rebslilOn
against him here? or are they acting as foils 10
secure the defeat of measure which he ts Sc.
cretly anxious to have postponed? j. b. 8.
THE SMALLPOX.