New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-10-27

take an appointment to-day which they may
| lose tomorrow, through no fault of their
| own. Political "bummers," men who have
| failed in business, drifting and unsteady
| men, adyenturers, rif-rat, captains OF low
| crowds-all sorts of men who have nothing
to lose, seek for these places and get them.
The machine could not be made to run with
out sOme good men, of course, who stay on
and on through many administrations; but
the mass Of those who come and go in pub
lie office are men who have no fitness tor
their place. and are never selected on ac-
count OF any supposed fitness for it.
The foreign appointments OF the govern
ment are almost uniformly made without
reference TO good qualifications. So, in
stead Ut having class OF courteous and
accomplished gentlemen in the foreign ser
vice, we have q multitude of Doors who are
not only unable to speak the language of
the people among whom they are located,
but are ignorant of that one language which
is current at all the cOurts-men who are
in the hands of their clever clerks, and
play at business and diplomacy at arms
length. TO three or four of the
higher foreign governments we are obliged
to send good men, to save ourselves from
disgrace and difficulty, but places at the in
fer0r courts and the multitude of consular
offices are parceled out, as rule to set OF
men whose sole recommendation is either
that they have worked hard to get some
body elected to office or that they have
powerful political friends. The one native
American consul whom we met during
long wandering over Europe who was
gentleman thoroughly COnversant with his
business, and who performed it himself, we
encountered the other day in Central park,
long since relieved of his office to make
room for political favOrite. A place in the
home or foreign employ of the government
ought 20 be so honorable and reliable
as to command the best men for life, and
to awaken among the best youth of
the country industrious preparation. It IS
as necessary that we be served well in civil
as in military affairs, and that we secure
men educated TO the service. 1t is as legitis
mate to have a school, supported at the ex-
pense OF the government, for the education
of men for civil office, as il is to have
school for education for the army and navy.
We saw in the late civil war just how little
political qualifications were worth in mill
tary life, and they are worth just as much
and no more in the civil department. of the
government. Either the diploma of such
school, or the certificate OF board of &x-
aminers themselves beyond the geach Of
political considerations should be required
of every man who seeks an office under the
federal government.
Without reform in the civi9 service, we
can not hope for any improvement in the
political morals Of the country. The pres
emit system of elections and appointments
stands squarely in the way of all reform.
So long as office is regarded as party prop
erty and spoil, our politics and political men
must remain corrupt. The whole system Is
root and branch; and the grand
of reformation rests in the fact
that the men whom we call upon to insti-
tute it are indebted for their Office mainly
to the system itself. They do not dare to
institute reformation which would weaken
their power to carry out their own selfish
ends, and execute the promises they have
nan in C Congress Who votes , against civil
service reform who will not bear careful
z. G. Holland, IN Scrjbner'S |
or November. I