, 1872-11-08
PLANS OF CIVm-BERv1CE REFORM.


It is Jet tco early to predict by what.measures
{@the very gensra1 desire for substantial reform
Esof the Civil Service shal1 be carried into
effect. As the evils OF the Civil service are
various, various, remedies have been proposed,
some Of which doubtless involve as much fresh
mischief as they will cure. It is generally felt
that the chief chronic evils OF the Civil Service
are:
i. The Presidents power to 'control the Office
holders appointed by him in furtherance OF his
own ends, and, especially, to secure his own re-
election.
2. The control exercised for the same puz-
pose by Congressman and Senators over these
appointments by reason Of the assumed obliga-
/: tion Of the President to consu1t,them.
i Senator Trumbull last winter, struck at the
alatter evil by proposing tomakeit penal offence
for member Of Congress- to recommend any
person for appointment by tile President or
heads Departments, except in .answer to their
written request for Information. Mr.. McCreery,
OF Iowa.. struck radically at the TO rmer evil by
propose amendment to the Com 'titution max
f1ng all Isederal officers whose duti pertain to
localities elective by the people Of the district in
which they serve. PostmasterB~ Asst ,ssors,
and Collectors Of Internal Revenue. numb ering
some forty Thousand in all, would thus be re-
moved from the Presidents control, and en-
dered Us Independent as any other officers VII. >se
tenure of Office is fixed BY law, and Who derh 70
their Offices directly from the people they serve
That Mr.. McCreery's measure would accomplish
the reform it is designed to, may perhaps be in
fet1ed by comparing the Federal with tho State
elections In the State elections, not only the
doVernor2 but all the State, county, and town |
officers are elected. The Governors appoint
ments arc insignificant. Accor dingly, we hear |
no talk OF Governor using his appointing |
power corTuptly to effect his t,wn reelection.
But it the people merely elected the Gov
ernor, and he appointed the Judges, sher-
Ills, Coroners, Justices Of the Pence,
Assessors and Collectors Of taxes,s School Com
missioners, and 30 on, there Would be the |
same tendency Of Governor to use his appoint |
ing power tore-elect himself as,there now is on |
the pert of the President. It ytou1d ba a;nn1v:
inevitable.
Yet ne do not find in our State Governments i
any difficulty in holding officers to their official
duty arising from the absence t,f anv power in
the Governor to appoint an remove them.
Those State officers who are 10 hanf31e money
give bonds, and these bonds are generally as
effective US those given by Feileral oio,rs. In
deed, while We have no dat,1 at hand for testing
the ratio of defalcations ur der the two svstems.
We should incline to the belief that the per-
centage Of defalcations to collections hn > been
smaller among State than Federal Off
clals The terms on which State
officers arc removable for cause seem
TO suffice to secure their removal whenever pub
lie opinion demanded it, which is as much as is
lone under the appointing system.
1t is true, the uis inertie against furt her
amendments Of the Constitu ticeria strong & ne
It is, doubtless, also true that N any friends Of
Civil Service Reform may doubt the expeHer, y
IT so radical system Of cure as that of diyesa
ng the President Of two-thirds CT his aproint
ing power, leaving him LITTLE, IL fact, but tho