The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1872-07-31
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
A SPLENDID LETTER FROM
GREELEY ON THE SUBJECT.
AN EPISTLE THAT READS LIKE
POETRY.
NEW YORK, July 8, 1S'

NEW YORK, July 8, 1872.
My DEAR Sin: Yours of the goth ult.
only reached mo three days ago re-
spond as promptly as may. l pass over
the alluslon to my political associates,
barely remarking that an imputation 90
vague can never be specifically repelled.
Charity 10 . virtue rarely exemplifed In
politics; and most men live and die in the
undou bting conviction that the political
opponents are the greatest ecoundrels un-
hung. ] trust that my age and your ex-
| perience have lifted US above such pre-
judices, enabling us TO realize that the
many sincerely desire the greatest public
good, even when most mistaken in
their choice of means. know who
my friends are better than my traducers
do and fear no scrutiny rs to the integ-
rity or patriotism Of any to whom give
my confidence. And should any such
ever seek to swerve me from the path Of
rectitude, they would cease 10 be regarded
by me rs friends. The problem Of civil
service reform is rendered difficult by a
misalliance between the executive and
legislative branches Of our federal govern
ment. Those members of Congress who
favor the administration hsbitually claim
and accorded virtual monopoly Of the
Federal Offices in their respective states or
districts, debating appointments and re-
movals as interest or caprice may suggest.
The president appoints at their bidding
they legisate In subserviency to his will,
often in opposition 10 their own convic-
tions. Unless all history is unmeaning,
this confusion Of executive with legislative
responsibilities and functions could not
fail to distcmper and corrupt the body
polite. hold that the eligibility Of our
Presidents to reelection is the main
source of this corruption. A president
should be above the hope of future favor,
the fear of alternating powerful, am
bilious partisans. He should be
the official chief, not Of party, but of
the republic. He should dread nothing
but the accusing voice of history and the
memorable judgment of God. He should
fully realize and never forget that Con-
gress in its own sphere is paramount and
nowise amenable to his supervision, and
that the heartiest goodwill to his admin
istrstion is perfectly compatible with the
most pointed dissent from his inculcations
on the very gravest questions in finance or
political economy. 1T is the first step
that costs" Let it be settled that Pres
ident is not TO be reelected while in office
and civil-service reform 10 no longer diff.
cult He will need no organs-no subsized
defenders. He will naturally select his
chief councillors from among the wisest
Of his eminent fellow-citizens, regardless
alike Of the shrieks of the locality" and
the suggestions of selfish policy. He
will have no interest to conciliate, no chief
Of o powerful clan to attach to his per-
sonsl fortunes. He will be impelled to
| mill al a
appoint, men Of ripe experience in busi-
ness and eminent mercantile capacity to
collect, keep, and disburse the revenue,
instead Of dexterous manipulators Of pri-
mary meetings and skillful trafickers in
No longer an sspirant to place, the Presi-
dent will naturally aim to merit and secure
the appreciation ofthe entire people, but es-
pecially of the eminently wise and good.
As to the machinery of boards of exnmin-
ers, &c, whereby the materials of civil.
service reform are to be matured and per-
fscted, defer to the judgment Of gress
unperverted by the adulterous commerce
in legislation and appointments, which
have already exposed and reprehended
Up to this time our experience of the do
ings Of boards in this direction has not
been encouraging; and this, am conf
dent is not the fault Of the gentlemen who
have tried 10 serve the public as commits
sioners. In so far as they may have
failed, the cause Of their i'll success must
be intrinsic. Had they been accorded q
falrer field am sure they would have
wrought better purpose. A thinker has
observed that the spirit in which We work
is the chief matter; and we can never
achieve civil-service reform until the in
terests which demand shall be more potent
in our public counsels than those which re-
sist even while seeming to favor it. That
this consumination is not distant, / for
vently trust; meantime thanking you for
your earnest and effective labors to this
end, remain yours,
HORACE GREELEY.
Hon. Carl Schurz.