The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-07-23
GREELEY ON CIVIL sERyICE
REFORM.
a Letter 10 Senator schurr.

| ~ SNAakoL oGhbNAe
81. LouB, July 22.-The following
correspondence was read by Senator
schurz In his speech to.nighti
ST. LouIS, Mo-, June 90, 1872.
Dear Sr-In your letter OF acceptance
you promise a thorough reform OF the
civil service In general terms. The aues,
ton how the civil service problem pre-.
sents itself TO your mind Is one Of great
Interest, and would suggest, If It be con.
sistent with yonr views Of propriety, that
you give me such explanations as will
put your intentions In this respect In a
clear light. Yours truly,
: @. ScHuRz.
The following Is Greeley's reply:
NEW YORK July 9th 1872.
Uear Sir: Yours of the 26th ult only
reached me three days ago. l respond
as promptly as / may. The problem of
civil service reform Is rendered difficult
by a messalliance between the executive
and the legislative branches OF our led.
eral government. Those members of con.
gress who favor the administration habit.
ually claim and ore accorded q virtual
monopoly OF federal offices in their re.
spective States or districts, debating an.
pointments and removals as interest or
caprice may suggest. The President ap.
points at their bidding; they legislate In
subserViency to his will, often in opposi.
ton to their own convictions. Unless all
history Is unmeaning this confusion Of
the executive and legislative responsible
ties and functions could not fail to dis.
temper and corrupt politics. l hold
the eligibility of our President TO
reelection the main source of this
corruption. IA President should be above
the hope offuture favor or the lear Of alien.
ating powerful and ambitious partizans.
he should be official chief, not OF party,
but Of the Republic; he should dread
nothing but the accusing voice of history
and the inexorable judgments OF God; he
should fully realize and never forget that
Congress In its own, sphere Is paramount
and nowise smenable to his supervision;
that the heartiest good will to his admin.
istration Is perfectly compatible with the
most pointed dissent from his inculcations
on the very gravest questions in finance
or political economy. It Is the first step
that costs. Letit be settled that a PrOsi.
dent Is not to be reelected while in office,
and civil service reiormis no longer diff.
cult. BE will need no organs nor subsidiz.
ed defenders, He will naturally select his
chief counsellors from among the ablest
and wisest of his eminent iellow.citizens,
regardless alike ofthc shrieks of localities
and the suggestions OF a selfish policy.
He will have no interest to conclliate; no
chief OF q powerful clan to attach to his
personal fortunes. He will be impelled
70 appoint, as none will deny that he
should appoint, men of ripe experience in
business and eminent mercantile capacity
to collect, keep and disburse the revenue,
instead Of dexterous manipulators of pri.
mary meetings and skillful trafflckers in
delegates to nominating conventions.
He will thus transform the civil
service Of the country from a mere
party machine into business establish.
ment No longer an aspirant the Presi.
dent will strive to merit and secure the
appreciation Of the entire people, but es.
pecialy oi the eminently wise and good.
As to the machinery of Boards Of Exam.
liners, &c, whereby the details OF civil
service reform are to be matured and
perfected Idefer : to the Judgment of q
Congress, unperverted by the adulterous
commerce in legislation and appointment
which l have already exposed and repre-.
hended. Up to this time our experience
OF the doiDgs Of Boards in this direction
has not been encouraging, and this am
confident is not the fault OF the gentlemen
who have tried to serve the public
as commissioners. In so far as they. NAV
have failed, the causes of their Ill success
must be extrinsic Had they been accor.
ded fairer field lam sure they would
have wrought to better purpose. A think
er has observed that the spirit in which
we work in the chiet matter; and we can
never achieve civil service reform till the
interests which demand it shall be more
potent in our public councils than those
which resist even while seeming to favor
It That this contamination is not distant
| fervently trust Meantime thanking
you for your earnest and effective labors
to this end l remain, yours, -5..
lSignedl HORACE GREELEY.