Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-01-08
THE PRESIDENT AND THE CIVIL
SERVICE.

Among the objections urged against
the Presidents scheme of reform of the
civil service is that it does not subject
the present officers to examination, and
therefore, as is alleged, leaves in the
service multitude of inefficient men
who will be the mere mercenaries of the
President. The desirable method of so
great reform, however, seems to be
that the principle shall be radical and
the process sure, but the beginnings gen
tie. 1t is also desirable to Judge the
method upon its own merits, and, so far
as practible, independently of the Presi-
dent who authorizes it. Indeed, those who
are persuaded that he means by it only
to make his denomination sure, or who
are of opinion that if he were sincere in
his purpose of reform he would have re-
formed the whole service long ago, would
hardly care to hear arguments that his
intention is fixed and pure. That can
only be proved by experience, and to ex-
perience time is essential.
Meanwhile it may be considered that
if there are incompetent officers in the
service, the scheme proposed renders
their removal very easy, because the ap-
pointing authority will have no reason
to retain an inefficient subordinate on
the ground that another equally ineff-
Gent would probably replace him, as I'M
der the existing system; while the ex-
ternal pressure to retain such an officer,
which is part of the present scheme of
patronage, will disappear under sys-
TEN which abolishes patronage altogeth-
er. 1t then becomes the interest of eve
ry head to have faithful and efficient
subordinates and, without perempto-
ry order, the authority to purge the SER
vice, uncontrolled by irrelevant motives,
will be legitimately exercised. As for
the actually corrupt officers and practi-
ces, the committee of investigation ap-
pointed by the Senate will undoubtedly
expose them-unless, indeed, it be sup
posed that the committee is in collision
with those who would conceal frauds
and being removed, it is to be hoped
that they would be replaced by better
men.
1t is also urged that there should be
an express order by the President that
the officers in the civil service should
withdraw from politics. But to prohib-
it all persons in the employment of the
government from such interest in poll
tics as their feelings might dictate would
stigmatize the service so as to defeat one
of the objects of the reform-namely,
that higher class Of persons should be
attracted to the service. A suspicious
and illegitimate interest, such as now
attends the political activity of office
holders. would disappear under the new
system, in which they can not be sus-
pected of directly interested motives
During the abuse which has so long pre-
vailed it has been expected, as of course,
that the ofice-holders would be the &C
tive politicians, and their activity was
always necessarily odious, because In
tensely selfish. But if fitness and fideT-
ity insure their places, their interest in
politics will be that of all their fellow
citizens. If it be said in reply that the
present office-holders will naturally work
hard to secure the reelection of a Presi.
dent who adopts the reform, it seems
enough to suggest that not only are such
persons, if incompetent, not sure OF thelI
places under the reformed system, but
that any President who should propose
fitness as the condition of appointment
to office would naturally be supported by
those who believe themselves fit for theil
positions, which is, doubtless, the large
majority. Meanwhile, every ofice-hold.
er in the country after the lst Of Janu-
airy knows that support of General GRANT
is not his tenure of Office, except so fal
as he may doubt whether any other Pres
ident would accept the reform.
For it is true that the reform, as it:
most faithful friends have long desired
has not been exposed to the indefinite
, delay of differing opinions in Congress
) but depends upon the President. 1t il
true ALSO whatever may have been the
force of bad system, under which thu
| President is compelled to rely upon the
word of interested advisers of appoint
) ments, that General GRANT is the only
: President since the abuse began who ha
r shown any serious interest in the subject
2 and who has constantly urged it, eVel
5 While appointments apparently III NOS
| tility to such interest have been made
r and events have occurred, by no mean
e wholly under his control, yet not to b
: wholly disposed Of by alleging unworth..
S motives.
AT length, and not without the mos
careful consideration of project whicl
is very radical and very important re
. form, he has announced that the doc
trine which all parties have supported
that to the victor belong the spolls of tn
enemy, ought no longer to be the mott
of the civil service. If he does no
mean it, if he has begun what is calle'
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