Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-08-09

MIR. GREELEY's REPLY.

MIR. GREELEY's REPLY.
NEW YoRK, July 8, 1872.
My Dear Sir: Yours of the 2Gth nit. on
ly reached me three days ago. l respond
as promptly as I may. pass over the al
fusion to my political associates barely re-
marking that an imputation so vague can
never be specifically repeled. Charity is
a virtue rarely exemplited in politics; and
most men live and die in the undoubtcd
conviction that their political opponents are
the greatest scoundrels unhung. trust
that my age and your experience have lift
ed us above such preiudice', enabling us
to realize that tho many sincerely desire tho
greatest public good, even when most mis-
taken in their choice of means. ! know
who are my friends better than my
traducers do and fear no scrutiny as to the
integrity and patriotism of any to whom l
give my confidence. And. should any
such ever seek to swerve me from the path
of rectitude, they would cease to he regard
ed by me as friends. The problem of civil
service reform is rendered difficult by
misaliance between the executive and leg
islative branches of our federal govern
ment. Those members of Congress who
favor the administration habitually claim
and are accorded virtual monopoly of the
federal offices in their respective states or
districts, debating appointments or romov-
ais as interest or caprice may suggest. The
president appoints at their bidding. They
| legislate in subservience TO his will, often
| in opposition to their own convictions. I'm
| less all history is unmeaning, this confu-
sion of executive with Legislative RESPONSE
| biites and functions could not fail to dis
temper and corrupt the body polite. hold
the eligibility of our presidents TO re-elec-
| ton the main source of this corruption. A
president should be above the hope of fu-
ture favor, the fear of alternating, powerful,
| ambitious partisans. He should be the of
fetal chief not of party, but of the re-
| public. He should dread nothing but the
accusing voice of history and the inexora-
| BILE judgment of God. He should fully re-
| alize and never forget that Congress, in its
own sphere, is paramount and no wise
amenabe to his supervision, and that the
h earliest good will to his administrations
perfectly compatible with the most pointed
dissent from his inculcations on the very
gravest questions in finance or political
economy. at is the first step hat costs"
Let it be settled that a president is not to
be reelected while in office. and civil SER
vice reform is no longer difficult. He will
need no organs, no subsidized defenders.
He will naturally select his chief counsel
ors from among the ablest and wisest of his
eminent fellow citizens, regardless alike of
the Ssh bricks of locality" and the sugges-
tons of a selfish policy. He will have no
interest to concliate, no chief of power
full clan TO tC attach to his personal fortunes.
lie will he impelled TO appoint, as none
will deny that he should appoint, men of
wide experience in business, and eminent
mercantile capacity, TO collect, keep and
dsburse the revenue, instead of dextrous
manipulators of primary meetings and
skilful traflickers in delegates to nominat-
ing conventions. No longer an aspirant to
place, the president will naturally aim to
merit and secure the appreciation of the en-
tire people, but especially of the eminently
wise and good. As TO the machinery of
boards of examiners, ETC., whereby the de-
tails of civil service reform are to he ma
tured and perfected, l defer 10 the judg-
ment of a Congress unperverted by the
adulterous commerce in legislation andap-
pointments, which have already exposed
and reprehended. Up 10 this time, our ex-
porence of the dongs of boards in this di-
rection has not been encouraging and this,
l am confident, is not the fault of the gem
tlemen who have tried to serve the public
as commissioners. In so far as they have
failed, the cause of their i'll success must
be extrinsic. Had they been accorded
fairer field, | am sure they would have
wrought TO a better purpose. 4 thinker
has observed that the spirit in which we
work is the chief matter and we can new
err achieve civil service reform until the in
terests which demand shall be more po-
tent in our public counsels than those
which resist, even while seeming TO favor
it. That this consumnation is not distant
fervently trust. Meantime, thanking you
for your earnest and effective labors to this
end, l remain yours,
HORACE GREELEY.