Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-10-25

The very able and Interesting report of
the Examining Board of the Treasury,
pnblis cd in the carly spring, states thai
one OF the chief cmharrassments which
the board had encountered WAS public
disbelief Of the reality and thorou. hnrss
of the reform. s this incrtdulity sur
prisingl The President fOrhids political
assessments upon subordinates, and Issues
an executive order virtually reproving the
political onlclousness OF officers of the
service. But, In total contempt of his
orjers, they lew assessments, desert their
posts of duty, assume the management Of
Sii party assemblies, and continue TO use
patronage as party lever, If these gen
Il, men were sure that their Illicit use Of
otiiclal power was eternly disapproved
they would hardly be so eager TO tout for
General Butler In Massachusetts, or to
manage the Convention in New York, or
10 take the Legislature up the river in
Louisiana.
And while these continue, how can the
country believe that there Is a real
retOrmi 1t will judge, and properly, by
cOuspicuOus instances and by the general
conduct and character of the service.
The country cannot know whether a night
inspector in the New York Custom house
Is or is not Observation-Disclosures may be
asseftod--in accordance witt tue rules !;
but it can tee distinctly whether certain
offices in New York are bestowed In &C
corlance with the spirit and purpose of
the rules,or In obedience to the old 81 stem,
which the reform prOfesses to supplaut.
The public cannot really know whether
the clerks In the st. Louis Post-ofice
were or were not appointed as the Presl
dent directs in the rules but 1t does
lSnoE distinctly that ths s.. Louls POST
master deliberately did what the rules
expressly f)l bade nim TO do, and that he
retains his office The country cannot
know how thu clerks in the New Orleans
CustOm-houso are appointed but il does
know that the Collector of New Orleans
vas guilty of a hagrant ofiense, ard
was subsequently re-nomrnated for the
position.
In the presence of such facts, not iso.
lated, but constantly recurring, it is in
vain that examinations are announced
for certain miuor positions. Rules and
examinations are, indeed, Indispensable
for the proper regulation Of civil service
so extensive as ours. But the spirit ls
more than the letter, and every man who
is truly interested 10 this most vital quss-
ton will look even more closely al the
Discretionary action OF the President than
at the operation OF the rules. And this
tof the reason that the Presidents will is
tue spring of the whole movement, and
his real disposition upon the subject eau
be seen more plainly in his discretionary
action, We shall all believe that the rules
are honestly observed in the minor cases,
although VIC cannot watch their opera
tiou, II we see that the President in his
nominations Of the chief collectors, sur
veyors, postmasters, and other officers
who are not submitted to technic Il exam
lnations, regards the essential spirit Of
reform.
4
Thntt things we merton, and count.
less others OF The same kind, have not
been done, au6 are NOT doing, If the reason
that this reform is the open jibe Of the
opposition aud tie secret doubt of Its
friends in the Republican party. And
until these Ihings ar1 done, constantly
aud consistently done, the work Of the
Commission, faithful, able, and devoted
as we know 1t 10 be, will be iu vain, and
the Republican party will have no right
to claim that it has really reformed the
civil service.