Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-08-07
REFORM IN OUR CIVIL SERVICE.

No man whose vision is not utterly
blinded by partisan feeling, will deny
that our civil service has fallen far be-
low the high place which the founders
intended it should occupy; and it is
no doubt true that the doctrine of
''spcils,n - introduced in the days of
Jackson, has been the chief motive
power in dishonoring and degrading
that service. But careful study of
the subject has led me to conclude
that at the present moment another
element is at work even more danger
Gus than the doctrine of 'spoils." It
is the tendency OF the different de-
partments of the governmental inter-
fere with the independence of each
other. While it is made the eOnsti-
tutional duty of the President to rec
Ommend to Congress such measures
as he considers for the public good. it
was never intended that he should
dictate to Congress the policy of the
government, nor use the power of his
great Office to force upon Congress his
own peculiar views of legislation
The tendency to do this, beginning
in the days of Jackson, had steady
growth until its elimination in the
administration of Andrew johnson;
when adherence to his policy of re-
construction was made the text of
party falicity and the ground of all
executive favors. The effort to i'm
peach Johnson was really an effort to
protect Congress against the unlAW-
ful leneroaehments of executive power.
CuiOusly enough, since 1S67a strong
tendency has been developed in the
opposite direction, and do not hesi-
tate to declare that we are now in
greater danger Of disturbing the bal
ance and distribution of pO gers by the
interference of Congress with the ex-
eeutive office than we were in the
days of johnson from executive usur-
patton. ..saI
By the provisions Of the civil tenure
act, the President cannot remove an
officer even for the worst of crimes;
he can only suspend him until the
Senate approves OF disapproyes the
nomination of a successor. This has
placed in the hands Of the Senate so
much control over executive appoint
ments that it has at last resulted in a
custom now rigidly followed by the
Senate, not to confirm a nomination
for any State unless the Administra-
ton Senator from that State approves.
This substantially subjects the Presi-
dent to the dietation of the Senators
and Representatives in whose State
he wishes to make an appointment
Thus his action Is virtually no longer
free; his appointments must be the
result of compromise with the Sena-
tors and members. And vet, under
our theory of government, the Presi-
dent is held responsible for the char
acter of the officers he eappOints. Bad
appointments have been made under
the present administration, but most
of them have been made under the
conditions / have named. s...
Mr.. Greeley insists that the first !
step towards civil serYiee reform is the I
adoption of the one term principle by |
which the prospect of reelection !
shall be removed from the Executive; !
but if ] am right in the views already I
the first step towards re- ]
form lies further back and must be /
the restoration of that independence
to the legislative and executive de-
partments respectively, which the
requires. Let it once be
fixed and understood that neither
Senators nor Representatives, singly
nor combined, can dictate appoint
ments. to the Executive, and then
again ,as in former days, the whole
Of wise or unWise Sc
lection of officers will justly rest upon
the President and heads of depart
meDts. No time should be lost in
this reform.
Many citizens and a few Senator'S
and Representatives have sustained
the President in hIs attempts to re-
form the civil service. He has UNDER
taken to establish body of rules by
which selections for office shall be
made on the ground of personal merit
and fitness for the public service.
But many members Of Congress OF
both parties have denounced the at
tempt, and loaded it with all the
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