The Portland daily press., 1872-04-23
Remarks of Mr.. Lynch ON the Civil Ser.
vice RiII

other" says an exchange. Yes, and they
will all end in being ex-tinguished.
Remarks Of Mr.. Lynch ON the Civil Ser.
vice Bill.
On Thursday last the Civil Service Reform
Bill being under discussion Mr.. Lynch offered
the following amendment as a substitute for
the Bill as reported: 4f-U 4EEB
Strike out all after the enacting clause of the
bill and insert the following: r..r. ID
That all recommendations made by any
member of Congress, or delegate from terri
tory, to the President of the United States, or
to any head of q department or of any bureau,
for the appointment of any person to or remov-
al from Office, shall be made in writing, giving
the reasons why such appointment or removal
should be made. Any such recommendations
to the President or head of department by
any smember or delegate shall be regarded
as official, and shall at all times be open to the
inspection of members and delegates; and cop
les thereof shall be transmitted to either
House of Congress whenever called for by
them, for information or publication. All APP
pointments and removals concerning which
Communications shall have been received by
the President or heads of departments from
members or delegates shall be reported to Con-
gress at the session thereof next after such APP
pointments or removal shall have been made,
together with all correspondence with or COM
munications from members or delegates re-
speeding the same. A.5s-W
Mr.. Lynch then proceeded to say: :.
Mr. Speaker, recognize the necessity of re-
form in the civil service of the Government;
am anxious to see such reform carried out, and
will favor any measure which in my Judgment
/ is calculated to effect that result. fH
l agree with my colleagues on the commit
| tee, the gentleman from Vermont Mr.. Will
| lardl and the gentleman from Ohio Mr.. Perry]
yVh M kan an plnunanflu
on the subject, that the whole tendency of the
dispensation of patronage by the Government
is to corrupt and demoraliZe the party which
controls it, and have honestly endeavored to
find some remedy for the evil which can be
practically applied. - .....f ,-.r
I do not agree with my colleagues that the
evils existing in the civil service result mainly
from what is termed the interference of MEM
| bers of Congress with appointments to Office,
and am unable to see how the abuses con-
nected with appointments to and removals
from office are to be corrected, the appoint
ment of honest and competent officers secured,
or the removal of such officers prevented by
any laws we may pass here. .-rsE-Tt3
The whole matter appears to me to be one
of administration, and pertains not to the legis
lative but to the executive branch of the Gov
eminent. Under the Constitution the Pres-
dent is charged with the execution of the laws
In the language of the Constitution She shall
take care that the laws be faithfully executed
Made by the Constitution responsible for the
faithful execution of the laws, he is properly
clothed with power to appoint, by and with the
advice and consent of the Senate, subordinate
Federal officers He appoints all Federal off
GERS OF the higher grades, who in turn appoint
their subordinates, each being responsible to
his superior, and all responsible to the chief
executive head, the President, who in turn is
responsible to the people, through their Repre-
sentatives, for the faithful discharge of his du-
ties under the Constitution. The theory of our
Government is that the people are the source of
all political power; that their willis expressed
to the President officially through their Repre-
sentatives, and when SO expressed, his duty is
to execute; and to enable him to perform this
duty he is clothed with the power to appoint
his subordinate executive officers.
There is no lack of power, no want of au-
thority, no necessity for any law to aid the
President in the matter of making appoint
ments to office. He may appoint whomsoever
he elects, subject to the approval of the Senate
and has full power in regard to removals from
once He may obtain information in regard
to the qualifications for office of any candidate
presented, from any source and is at liberty to
accept or reject any recommendations which
may be made, either in regard to appointments
or removals.
Now, what are the abuses we are seeking to
correct; the evils we are trying to remedy; the
reforms we desire. to have carried out in the
civil service of the Government? gHrt.
1t is, as have said, charged that they result
from the unwarranted interference of members
of Congress with the Executive Departments
in the matter of appointment and removal of
Federal officers that the custom of making
such appointments and removals upon the
recommendation of members of Congress of the
dominant party having obtained in the Gov
eminent, the patronage thus acquired has come
to be used for the personal advantage of the
member controlling it, and as means of pro-
longing his own term of office; that this prac-
tce has resulted in filling the Federal offices of
the country with incompetent and corrupt men,
whose only qualifications are their ability to
control ward caucuses and conventions and
their usefulness generally to the member OBJ
tanning their appointment.
That there is basis of truth for this charge
to rest upon do not deny. l have no doubt
that the right (for consider it a right whether
exercised by the people directly or through
pointment or removal of Federal officers is in
many cases abused, and that instead of being
uesd in the interests of the public service it is
often prostituted to subserve private ends
My own observation, however, is that the Of
fcers of the Government are, as class, as hon.
est and as capable as the average of men en-
ployed in responsible business positions, and as
honest and competent as officers who are elect
ed by the people; and that the Government is
as well served as business corporations.
Abuses are inseparably connected with the
distribution of patronage. The power to APP
point and remove fifty or sixty thousand men
with aggregate salaries of nearly thirty mill-..I,
dollars is, by whomeyer exercised 4 fearful
one.
But think that az, ,ar;ence has demonstrate
ed that this c,,Wer is more dangerous when ex-
erci ss py a single man or by Department or
branch of the Government than when, to a GER
tain extent, it is divided. In proof of this |
need only refer to the use that has been made
of Government patronage under former Adj
ministrations to force through Congress Ad-
ministration measures The worst measures of
the worst Administrations have been forced
through Congress by the corrupt use of the pat
1,fk InC hxyo 70
the Representatives of the people the right to
advise in regard to appointments in their re-
spective districts, but under the very principle
which is embraced in the bill which is now un-
der consideration.
Let us see what connection members of Con-
gress now have with the appointing power. L
understand it to be this: that all officers whose
jurisdiction is embraced within congressional
district are, by recognized rule of the Depart
ments and the President, appointed upon the
recommendation of the member representing
the district, if he is of the dominant party; and
all officers who have larger jurisdiction than a
congressional district within State are ap-
pointed upon the recommendation of the Sena-
tors of such State. What the practice is in re-
gard to districts and States represented by the
opponents of the Administration 1 am not adj
vised. ". .4-..
So far as regards the appointments made up
on the recommendation of Representatives,
think the rule or practice a proper one, and
founded upon correct principle.
The people have the same interest in the
proper administration of laws, and that proper
persons shall be appointed to execute them,
that they have in the passage of good laws;
and as it is not practicable for them to act di-
rectly in regard to the appointment of such Off
GERS, they act through their Representatives !
These Representatives may betray the trust
confided to them IN this, as they may in any
other matter They may through ignorance or
from corrupt motives secure the appointment
of dishonest and incompetent officials, as they
may aid in. the enactment of bad laws. But in
either case the evil cannot long exist as the
term of Office is short, and the remedy can soon
be applied. If through the influence of FEEDER
al officers a member of Congress is enabled to
control conventions, and thus prolong his term
of service, the fault is with the people who
neglect their political duties. The power is
with them. If they fail to exercise it, the fault
is their own. / am unable to see why person
who can be trusted to make the laws of the
be trusted with the lesser responsibility of rec
ommending the appointment of officers to exc
cute those laws.
Ihave said that believed the practice which
has obtained of acting upon the recommended
lions of Representatives in Congress in making
appointments a correct one l think it should |
be extended rather than curtailed, for the rea-
son that power is thus kept more within the
control of the people.
think Senators should not make any rec |
concentrations with regard to appointments as
1t tends to unfit them for passing impartially
upon the confirmation of such appointments.
MIR. Holman. If the gentIenian's theory is |
correct, would like to know in what manner |
ne would make appointments in districts not |
represented by members of the dominant party !
LIS ne not aware that now, according to the uni |