The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-10-31


one Of the chief em barrlssment. which IA,
board had encountered was public disbeie
81 the reality and thorOughness Of the n.
form. l. this incretiulity surprisings In,
President fOrbids political assessment.
upon subor,linates. andisSues an executive
order virtually rproying the political 81.
ilciousnesS OF Oiliccr- Of the service. But.
In total contempt OF his orders. they levy
assessments, desert their posts of duty,
assume the management OF all party az
senbles. and continue 10 use patronage as
a party lever. VI these gentlemen were
Y sure that their Illicit use OF official power
was sternly disapproyed. they would hard
~ be- so eager 10 tout for Gen. Butler in
Massachusetts. or to manage the Conyen-
ton in New York. cor 10 take the Legisla-
turc up the river la Louisiana.
And while these continue. how can the
country believe that there j. a real reform?
II will judge. and properly. by conspicr-
Gus instances and by the general conduct
and character Of the service. The country
can not know whether night inspector
in the New York Custom House i or is
no ppOintel-whateye may beasSerted-
IN accordance with the rules: but il can
SET distinctly whether certain chief offices
IN New Orh are bestowed in accordance
with the spirit and purpose of the rules or.
IN Obedience 20 the old system. which the
reform Processes 10 Supplant. The public
can not really know whether the clerks in
the ~. Louis POst-ofiice were or were not
appointed a the President directs in the
rules: but il does know distinctly that
the ~. Louis Postmaster deliberately did
what the rules expressly forbade him 10
do. and that he retains his office. The
country cannot know how the clerks i'm
the New Orleans Custom House are ap-
pointed: but il does know that the Col
lector Of New Orleans was guilty of a fla
grant oilcn~e. and was subsequently, re-
nominated for the position.
In the presence OF such facts. not $50
lated. but constantly recurring. it j. in vain
that examinations are announced for GER
tain minor positions. Rules and eNamina-
lions arr. indeed. Indispensable for the
proper regulation Of civil service 80 ex-
tcnsive A. ours. But the spirit j. more
than the letter. and every man who is
truly Interested in this most vital question
Will look even more closely AT the discre-
tiOnary action of the President than al the
operation Of the rules. And this for the
reason that the Presidents will j. the
spring 81 the whole movement. and his
rial disposition upon the subject can be
seen more plainly ia his discretionary ac-
ton. We shall all believe that the rules
are honestly observed in the minor cases,
although We cannot watch their operation,
il We see that the President ia his nomina-
tons ~ the chief collectors. SURVEYORS.
po~fmasteTs. and other officers who are
not submitted 10 technical examinations.
regards the essential spirit OF reform. IT.
tor instance. he promotes subordinate
vino j. thoroughly competent and suitable
for the superior position. the country has
conclusive evidence Of his sincerity and
resolution. But il he disregard- the tit
ness OF the subordinate. and appoints over
his head an active politician. however good
a man and officer he may b.. the country
Justly concludes that other considerations
than those of efficient official service have
affected the decision. One such ease pro-
perly outweigh- in the public mind thou
sand examinations. One such case. i'm
deed throws suspicion upon every eNami-
nation. One such csl>e. il il De- conspicu-
ous. not only destroys public faith in the
reality ~ the rciurn. but dcmOfaliZes the
service itself by showing the officers that
promotion. which l. one of the three ear
dinal points Of the reformed system. will
be confined 10 the most unimportant
grades. 20 that il vital value ~ am incen-
tive j. totally lost.
II j. very true that the great and long
accumulaiing abuses Of the old system of
the civil service are not 10 BE- reformed &c
once. But il i equally true that nothing
is easier than 70 show al once Tie spirit
and disposition of reform. II. for in
stance. the President had promptly ac-
cepted the resignation Of the Collector Of
New Orleans; ii the Postmaster nj st.
Louis hal been removed for The violation
0i one ~ the most percInptory of the
Presidents rules. and be- had been in
formed that pha ~ ignorance only in
creased the oflen~e il. when ii was init
mated To the President that his nomination
fpr surveyor OF the Port Of New York
would not be confirmed. h. had said that.
having made nomination in strict con-
iormity with the spirit and purpose Of his
rules. he should throw upnn tho senate th.
Of rejecting II: II ii had not
been evident that the chief offices III New
York had been filled upon the principle
which the spirit ~ the rules rcpudiate.:
and II the public officers everywhere were
busy with their public duties and not with
party management and iuirigue-thcre
would b. 4 profound and universal con
wilton that great results had been already
achieved. and that thorough reform was
In ended.
That the things we mention. and count
les Others Of the same Kind. have not been
lone. and arr not doing. j. the reason that
ihi- reform j. the open iibe OF the OPPOSE
lion and the secret doubt ~ it, friends i'm
ihe Republican party. And until these
things arr done. constantly and consistent
~ done. the work Of the Commission.
able. and devoted. ~ we know II
70 b.. will ~ IN vain. and the Republican
party will have no right To claim TINT II
ia- really reformed theciyil service. H.
1srs Weekly Raaicak.
~ proud parson and his man were
riding over a common and saw a shepb.rd
tending his flOck; having new coat on.
he parson asked him. IN naughty. AFRO
CANT tone. who gave him that coat. ..Ihe