The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-03-13
Practical Application of the New Civil
Service Rules.

paragraph which originated in one of
our city journals, and which has been extern
siyely copied into our Maine exchanges,
seems to assume that there is no real mean
ing in the professions of the administration
touching reform of the civil service. 1t is
asserted that the present incumbent of the
Portland Pension Agency is to be removed,
and another gentleman is to be put in his
place, not because of any fault or omission of
his, but because a certain other gentleman
acdnts the place! In other words it is as
sumed that the bad old system of making the
subordinate positions of the government
part of the spoils Of office, without regard to
the competency or honesty of theincumbents,
is still in vogue, and that the new plan of
making changes only for cause and putting
good man in place of an inefficient or dishon-
est one, is merely put forward as trick for
holding on to the support of voters, who
think the reform essential to the safety of the
government.
The paragraph in question must, in the ma
ture of things, be entirely Without founda-
ton. 1t is impossible to make the change
abandonment of those principles, the estab-
lishment of which for the government of the
civil service has done more than everything
else to strengthen the administration. When
the country is so often shocked by the expos
nre of frauds of the most extensive and dam
gerous character, it would be a singular ev-
idence of a sincere desire to protect the treas
lie 10 he
honest men-if conspicuous zeal il the per-
formance of official duty and record that de-
fies scrutiny furnish no protection against the
intrigues of importunate aspirants, who bring
to the position they covet no special qualifica-
tons therefor. When the Pension Agencies
are especially liable to be made use of by dis
honest men for purposes of plumber, as recent
developments in New York, Philadelphia and
Washington have shown, it would indeed be
a strange method of carrying out the new
scheme to remove men whose standing is in
all respects irreproachable, because Con-
gressaon complains that he hasn't fair
share Of patronage, and that the place belongs
to him as mach as to anybodyi
There can be no dispute about the admira-
bic management of the Agency by the pres
emit incumbent. The work is done with a
rapidity and precision that are hardly rivalled
in any other Office in the country. Indeed
Mr. Blanchard has developed special apt
ness for the place, and has so systematized the
business ofmaking payments and keeping the
accounts that the interests of pensioners and
OF the public service are greatly promoted.
During the very week which, according to the
newspaper reports, has seen his enemies
bending every energy to supplant him, he
has been able, by strict attention to his du-
ties, to clear off an amount of work which is
unprecedented in this Agency, and, as we
believe, considering the clerical force at his
command, in any Agency in the country. The
business of the place has greatly increased in
extent and difficulty during the last few years,
but owing to the improved methods of trans
acting it, it is disposed of more rapidly and
satisfactorily than ever before. If such a man
is removed merely because somebody else
wants his place, the people will certainly be-
gin to inquire whether the civil service re.
form Is not farce. For our part we give
Gen. Grant full credit for perfect honesty of
purpose. Unless thwarted by the politicians
he will fulfil his pledges, and at the close of
his administration the civil service will be an
honor instead of disgrace to the country.