Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-01-17
Gbe fireman.
MONTPELIER, VI,
WEDNESDAY, JAN. L, 1872.
Removals from Officr, and Election
PeTiug."
The New York Times one day last week 4,
nd the lnllnMing editnrial item

Removals from Officr, and Election
eering."
The New York Times one day last week,
had the following editorial item:
Il will be seen from our Washington
iispatches that the Civil Service Committee
of the House is prepared TO 20 beyond, it not
contrary to. the views Of the Civil Service
Commission. In the bill reported By Mr..
Willard, Of Vermont, Zone of It's members.)
yesterday, the rules Of the Commission are
adopted in the form Of law. and two new
features arc added l. The tenure Of all
3hicers not appointed for defined term is
held 70 be for good behavior, and removals
arc prohibited except for misconduct,
iHe ffciency. or like cause. =. All officers IN
the civil service are prohibited from taking
part in the business Of electiOneering, or
attempting 10 interfere in any way in the
election Of officers ia the State or Federal
Governments. We doubt both the eXpedI
ency and the c0nstitutionality OF both these
catures The 'u0wcr 81 removal by the
President il one which may With some great
tlgantages be left in his hands, so long a.
:i0 selection If successors. in case Of remOT-
ai is limited % persons properly qualified
TIE participation IN % elCctOueeriDg IS
sgue net, and one which il woult be almost
impossible = define and its one, moreover,
nhich Congress would find hard work to
punish In the case Of ONCE holders without
infringing some rights which are held very
'-nscIously In this country.
These are the sections ol the bill referred
20 hy the Tunss-
SEC H. That ali persons now in the evil
rvice, and all persons who may be appoint
I'll OF employed 10 said service, except such
ID
pOYed for d specified time, and SUCH a. arc
IF NAV be appointed or employed for terms
nited or declared By law, shall III b cid 70
Is appointed or employed during good be
HlyiOr, and no person now IN the civil SER
ice, or who shall hereafter be appointed or
employed therein. snail. except a. otherwise
provided 10 this act, be removed or dismissed
thurefrom. except TOR misconduct or unialth
fulness or ineficIency IN dischargiug the ca
'ss Of tho position occupied by such person
and all removals or dsmissals Of persons from
tae civil service tor any cause, during any
Fsar, shall with the reasons therefor De- com
muIicated 10 Congress By the President Or
the head of the Department. in which the
persons removed had positions, al the aanua.
-sssion in December VI each year
SEC. IS That no person now in the cITl
service, or who may hereafter be IN such
service, shall take par in the business q
electiOuoering. or attempt to influence the
r0tes of others. for Or against persons to be
elected % any p1sIts 10 IN State y jvernment-
III the Government Of the Unitet States, Or
attempt 20 control or influence the free ex-
crcise Of the elective franchise on the part
Of any voter, and any cTsJn violating th,
provisions Ut this section shall upon proof D.
such violation, be removed o. dismissed from
The service.
This bill was not, as the IIo.se seems t,
suppose. reported from the committee j
vas only offered 10 the House anI referred t,
the committee, aud the committee il there
fore not yet responsible for any Of its pro
visions.
The Republican party ought, by this time, t,
consider itself committed to the constitution.
atty of law limiting the power Of removal
after having attempted to impeae1 johnson
for violating Law which limited has right t,
remove even q member Of bis cabinet
As to the expedieuey of putti1g some limit
upon the right 20 remove an off Ger, il seem.
to us both the Tunes ana the report Of the
civil service commission practically admit it
when the omission Of such a provision il
the regulations adopted by the commission ].
justified on the ground that hereafter Their
will be no motive % make removals excep
for cause. If it IS lawful or eApedient t.
remove the 1a9liUe for bad act. We subnlt
that it Is at least ezpeiient t. punish the
act. The logic Is, IN bTief, that. a. Jher,
viii remain no temptation t. sin, there is n
need to forbid sin. We do not assent eithe
70 the logic or 70 the construction ofthc rulc
upon which it rests.
The section prohibiting federal officers irol
engaging actively in the business Of election
eering, we shall have something u say abou
at another time Il is enough 10Y the urescn
to mention that the section Is copied subztar
TALLY and almost verbally from a circular at
dressed By President jefferson during bi- I'd
-ninistration. to federal oGcc-ho.ders Y
man has e constitutional right 20 al Office, an
when be applies for one, or has one offered hi
without solicitation, q rather uncJ.nm1
occurrence) he cannot complain. II he a,
cepts it. that il i hampered with condition
If he does ut Ike the conditions. h can ],
the Office alone, and other competent person
can no doubt be found, who would be wiliiu
even to forego the sacred right of &" electiouee
ing" iftbeY might, for such rare selCdonial
be compensated BY a fairly remuneratiye 20
alton as public officers. We confess. alse
that the recent demonstrations Of federl
of5ce-holders at Albany and at New OrIean
have seemed % render necessary some pres
dental or legal admonition to the empJoys
ofthe government, that the business for whic
they are paid is t. aetend TO their oHieu
duties, and that their Official duties are 90