Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-02-01
"CiviI Service Reform. "

There never was a more complete
"humbug" the true meaning Of
that expressive colloquial WORKMAN
the much-bepuffed and endlessly talked
about "Civil Service reform" The
thing is Il public imposition. II is a
sounding phrase---it sounds well. It's
authors trust to the constant banging
away at the acordS. to conceal from
the world the utter emptiness Of the
thing itself Public murmurs against
the unparalleled corruption, and the
astounding robbery of the peoples
funds, which mark and characterize
the civil service under the Grant Ad-
minstration, had grown so loud and
to threatening, that something had to
be done There must be some show
of correcting this gigantic evil. The
so-called Civil Service Reform bill is
the tub which the radical managers
have thrown to the whale. 1t is to be
used as a sounding electioneering cry,
in the next Presidential election.
President Grant is to be set up as the
champion advocate of "Civil Service
Reform" There is room enough,
Heaven knows! for reform, in the
rotten conduct not only Of the civil
service, but pretty much every other
service under this corrupt and incom-
petent Administration. 1t would be
we'll to begin with the President him
self, who takes presents and appoints
the givers to lucrative Offices; who
persists, both against public sentiment
and the other branches Of the govern
ment, in pushing his huge and corrupt
San Domingo scheme; who keeps
such men as Murphy in Offices where
they can by corruption control the pol
itics of State; who signs decree to
overthrow State government and es-
tablish martial law in South Carolina,
while he is junketing at railroad din
ners down in Maine; who engages
with the Corbins and the Fisks in
Black Friday combinationss who co
erces Republican conventions in Lou.
isiana to favor Grant by persuasive el,
oquence Of a regiment of troops and q
pair of Calling guns; who proclaims
martial law once week, and the next,
issues another proclamation, abolish,
ing the first as a mistake.
However, this dancing,jack and
thimblerig of "Civil Service Reform
: seems to be the highest idea the Presi
dent has attained to, at this time Of
day when the governments Of State,
have been illegally overthrown by
Congressional interference in violation
ofthe Constitution, and thepeople deliv
cred over to horde Of plupderin9 Of
fcials, who have robbed them, as it ap
pears by the report of the sub com
mittee on the Ku-Klux investigation
J of no less than $200,000,000. This il
: his highest idea. And he is to be the
champion Of Civil Service Reform
This man, under whose administration
there has been ten times more corrup
: ton, and far more actual robbery o
S the peoples funds, than the entire sun
e of all the official corruption and all thu
stealings developed under all preceding
, Administrations Put together, since
the foundation of the government
: A good champion Of the Civil Service
/ Reform, verify!
But the emptiness Of this talk abou
Civil Service Reform is so complete
that the humbug will collapse, from
y necessity of the case. Senator Car
penter, prominent Republican, hi
e the nail on the head, when he de
Y scribed the bill as a bill to take tn
: appointing power from the hand
g., where the Constitution placed it, ant
1 to give it to a few schoolmasters.-
i Hartford Times.