The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-03-06
OWL SERVICE REFOR NJ.

The plan of civil service reform suggested
by Mr.. Curtis is to confnc olfice-holdng
to the highly educated class, and exclude
the element of political service altogether.
This would do very we'll if two things
could be made demonstrably clear, that
is, if it could be shown beyond a reason
able doubt, the thing being cxperimentally
tested, that highly educated men uniformly
make the best business men, and that
political service as uniformly disqualites
for public duty. 1t would be difficult,
we apprehend, to show that either of these
propositions were true, or that they were
likely to be demonstrated as true. As q
general rule, we think, highly educated
man or one of superior scholastic
attainmcnts, like Mr.. Curtis for instance,
is in a measure disqualified for public BUSH
ness. He IS too deeply yersed in the
science Of government, or its mere abstract
theories, to attend successfully to the dry,
practical details Of departmental or other
official state duty. He might make very
excellent head-piece in a department, but
in ninety-ninc Offices out Of hundred.
quick wit and an expert hand have more to
do in rapidly turning off public business
than a dozen heads would have, if they
were all as compactly put together as that
of Mr.. Curtis himself Take the highest
office in the gift Of the PIesident-that Of
Secretary of State-anq it is questionable
whether it has ever been more ably
filled than by one whose whole life
was devoted to politics as a means of lift
ing himself into place and power, and who
was neither ripe in scholarly attainments
nor in the branches of jurisprudence imme-
diately appertaining to his high Office. But
the experience to fill one public position
well, when extended through dozen other
positions of equal magnitude and inpor-
lance, made him prominently the man for
the first place in the gift of the President.
Every sensible man must see that when a
political party comes into power, it must
demonstrate its capacity to govern the
country by its own men and measures.
BY resorting to its opposing party for the
material to successfully run the govern
ment, it acknowledges its own inca
pacity and proves its own uniitness
for the place it fills. 1t virtually de-
clares its attempt to govern a failure,
and confesses itself unworthy of the trusts
committed to it. The people would at once
lose all confidence in such party, and take
its confession Of weakness as conclusive ey-
idence that it was unequal to the task it
had undertaken.
The assertion that ''to the victors belong
the spoils'' need not be, by any means,
the party motto. 1t never was the motto
of any party in this country. 1t was
charged upon Jackson's administration
that he made it arule in his appointments,
but his motto was, as he himself put it.
"to the deserving belong the honors," and
party appointments were deemed by him
places ofhoRor as well as official trust.
If a party desires to command the con-
fidence of the people, it must show that it
has confidence in itself. Anything like
selfcondemnation will kill it at once Let
every Republican, then, instantly put
aside all thought Of a civil service re-
form which looks to anything like radical
change in the manner of appointments to
office. The thing is vague, dreamy, inn
practical, if not altogether nonsensical.