Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-01-18
The Nutlny Against Civil Service Re-
form.

A mutiny has broken out against
Civil Service Reform. Inc Prcsi-
dent had ordered that the rules and
regulations for admission into the
Civil Service, reported by tie Com
mission, should go into operation on
Jam and here, OH the 10th of Jan
nary. there is an outburst of wrath
among tire Senators and Representa-
tiyes w~hosel;ght to make appoint
ments is no logger recognized. Sen
~atorial and Representative dcslgna-
tions TO notice have 10 longer any Pc
culiar force, and the candidate select
ed by Senator Pomcroy tor an office
in the Civil Service is no longer APP
pointed Is a matter Of course, bLtl is
referred 20 the Examining Commit
tee 70 ascertain whether he is com
! petcnt. The Civil Service Commits
sion reported that the President, un-
der the old regime, was a mere Office
M.o,'1er to aii contracts made by Sen
ato.-s and Representatives. The Pres
ident a accepted that report, endorsed
it's stat.l 1cnts aid its enumeration OF
the evils o. the present system, and
ordered Il. at, to the extent recon-
menled by the Commission, all APP
po;ntmcnts shall hereafter be made
by competitive examination, and that
nc person shall be appointed who is
not pronounced qa;.Ltied by the ex-
aminers.
This decision in no wy intcricred
With any lawful or proper authority
or function Of Senators or .tepresen-
t~atives. But that it has int erfered
with the exercise of a power which
they have usurpcd, and which they
hold under the implied threat Of or
posing the Administration, is mani
test. The struggle has come. Will
Senator'S and Representatives yield
the patronage for which they have
pledged their support; or will the
President take back the great and
wholesome order of reform, under
the threat of these Senators to OPP
pose and defeat him? Senator Car
penter sounds the alarm. He will
not send his candidates for Office to
a board of sclroolmasters TO get their
commissions. Why should he do SO?
Was It tor this that he supported San
Domingo? II he yields his power
to designate men for Office now,
where will this thing stop? How
long before Senators will bc utterly
bereft of patronage, and be forced to
ask a reelection upon no other
grounds than their personal fitness,
The complexion of their record, and
their intellectual capacity?
Senator Carpenter does dot mis-
take the effects Of Civil Service Re
form, tho first chapter Of which has
SO unduly excited him. 1t has for
its object the making of tho Presi-
cent independent OF Senators and
Representatives, and Senators and
Representatives independent of the
President. Senator Carpenter docs
not mistake the effect OF dcpriving
members OF Congress Of this mastery
over the Executive. BY deprving
them OF a patronage which the Con.
stitution prohibited thc'.a rom exer-
Congress will be achieved OF
tie presence Of all that class on Sena-
tors and Representatives whose
has been procured by, aud ,
re election depends upon, tho
maintenance in their States and dis
ricts OF a corps Of officials whose first
luty is TO pack nominating conven
ions and corrupt Legislatures to sc.
.ure the recollection Of their patrons.
Evil Service keform, now partially
~: in operation, when carried to its
I'LL extent, will si"ecp away the
Whole corrupt and debasiug macl'in-
ny by whose aid tho halle of Con
have been SO largely filled with
ieak and dishonest Spectators and
dvcnturers. Mr.. Carpenter, it is
to say, did not obtain Ills own
by such means, bit rather
! spite Of them. Why should he de- ;
re to pcrpctuate the bad system ?
The bowling in Congress over the
.jection OF Senatorial and l.cprtsrn-
ike appointments to office shows
lat the first blow Ior Civil Service
riorln has s,rttck home. The cor.
ut and d~clasing system has rccciv.
! shock. and Senator's anil Repre-.
natives ara the first to cry cut {
:ih ain. The country will rrio:cc,
r.! n; ~l0ltinr No cries ano,,u,hosr i