The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-03-29
Civil Service REFORM.

Senator Howe, of Wisconsin, recently |
made powerful speech upon Civil Service
Reform and National University. 1t is
exhaustive and unanswerable. We quote
the following in which that distinguished
reformer, Senator Trumbull, is gently re-
minded of his own large responsibility for
the defective condition of the civil service
"For such evils as spring from the laws
regulating our civil service, of course, the
Legislative and not the executive depart
ment of the government must be held re-
sponsible.. If the laws are not what they
ought to be, Congress should amend them
the President cannot. And for all such
evils, must add, no one man has incurred
50 heavy responsibility as the honorable
Senator from Illinois. The reasons are OBJ
yious. For many years before he took his
seat in the Senate he was distinguished
member of that profession whose especial
business it is to know the laws. There is
but one member of this body who is his
senior in Senatorial service. And more
than all, for the last eleven years, he has
stood at theshead of the Judiciary Com
mittee, whose Reading prerogative it is to
consider defects in the legislation of the
country and ito propose the remedy for
them. If we shall succeed in convincing
the country that it is suffering through
defective laws, the. country will be apt
to inquire of the Senator from Illinois
why, with all his opportunities for knowing
these defects, and all his power for remoy-
ing them, he has not repaired them.
''For these reasons, among others, |
should be glad if it could be made to APP
pear that the condition of our civil service
is not SO very desperate as the Senator from
Illinois represents it.
"But speak to-day not on behalf of the
Senator from Illinois, nor on behalf of the
Republican party, but on behalf of our
civil service. readily agree that the con-
dition of that service is much worse than it
ought to be. | agree that it may be re-
formed. insist that it must be reformed.
The great question is how can it be re-
formed Two plans have been proposed.
The Senator Of Illinois proposed one in the
last Congress. lie proposed simply to de-
clare it penal offense for member of
Congress to advise the President touching
an appointment to Office. Another plan
proposed by several is to strain the public
into official places by means of COMPETE
tive examinations. One of the modifica-
tons of this last plan we are informed is
already in operation. speak it with great
diffidence, but am obliged to say that in
my Judgment we cannot expect any sub
stantial improvement in our civil service
from either of these expedients.
"It is impossible that the President
would make better selections when de-
prived of the advice of the representatives
of these great states. Undoubtedly a
member of Congress sometimes gives bad
advice. So would the President receive
plenty of bad advice if he never spoke to Q
member of Congress. Let it be conceded
that knaves and fools sometimes get into
Congress. The melancholy fact remains
that there are great many knayes ant
fools who do not get into Congress. Let j
be conceded that member Of Congress
may sometimes urge an appointment witt
view OF keeping in Congress rather thar
promoting the public good. Who can ab
solutely know that men outside woul'
never advise an appointment with view Q
getting into Congress rather than OF pro
noting the public good? The Presiden
must be advised by some one. Let him b
advised by all. Exclude no one from hi
presence. Let the representative and cor
stituent approach him freely. We kno'
there is no absolute safety in such multi
tude of counselors, but to my mind it
very manifest that we should not increas
the security by reducing the number OF h
counselors.
.'Nor am yet persuaded that the put
lie security is to be increased or the publ
service improved by the system Of comp'
titive examinations. OF the two plans
reform l should have the most hope, {
rather should have the least fear, of til
first. The first is least expensive. An
although it does not seem to me posslD
that either can do any good, | am qul
confident that the first would do the lea
harm. The first plan excludes from Il
counsels of the President only the few
diyiduais who happen to be members
Congress. ! If they are excluded the Pre-
dent could still consult all the rest of t
nation. But the competitive system 2
cludes from his counsels the whole natl
except three, five or nine individuals wi
may compose the examining board"