New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-04-17
Political TrauscendenlaIlsss,

Our neighbor Of the Chronicle seems to
have adopted, i'm letter and spirit, the doc
trine so sedulously advocated by Trumbull,
Schurz, and other "Civil Service Reform
ers," after they had procured from Presi-
dent Grant the appointment, for political
reasons, scores, If not hundreds, of their
dependents, and had despaired of still fur
Their controlling the patronage of the Gov
eminent for their own benefit. When they
had utterly destroyed their influence with
the President by their insolent importantly,
their noisy clamor for more of the "spoils of
Office" and the absolute want Of principle,
they suddenly discovered that to reward
men for political services by appointment to
office, or to prefer political friends to po-
litcal enemies in distributing the patronage
Of the Government, is a demoralizing and
dangerous practice that must be at once
abandoned or the Government must cease
to exist as Republic. The Chronicle, in an
article ON " Civil Service Reform" as means
of averting this great calamity, after re-
captivating and denouncing the Democratic
doctrine that to the victors belong the
spells, thus warmly gives in its adhesion to
the opposite. or Trumbull and Schurz, doc
trine:
1.-THE Republican party has endeavored to
break up this narrow, corrupting, and mis-
cradle policy inaugurated by the Democrats.
President Grant has taken the lead in this
good work, and has done all in his power to
throw around the civil officers of the Gov
arpu,ant tho copna ,,rof ocfiou in tho on ioy-
ment of their privileges during good be-
havior, that the military and the naval
officers enjoy. 1t is true that the President
has met with much opposition, especially in
enforcing competitive examination for APP
pointments or for promotions, but he has
nevertheless persevered."
II is not long since the Chronicle condemned
the civil service in good, set phrases. But
that is "of no sort of consequence as old
Stapleton would say, and it is not to that we
intended to refer. Our main purpose is to
ask the Chronicle one or two questions
They are
FIRST. Where would it draw the line be-
tween appointments for political services and
those made without any reference to politi-
cal opinions and antecedents
Second. Does it believe it any more inn
portant that political friends of the Adj
ministration should fill the offices of Audi
tors, Comptrollers, Assistant Secretaries,
and other mere clerical officers, than that
chief clerks and all appointees of lower
grade should be )?
Third. Does it believe that the " baneful
spirit Of partisanship will cease to exist
while the President and members of Con-
gress, Governors, and all other State officers
are elected by party exclusively for politi-
cal reasons?
Fourth. How long does the Chronicle i'm
agine the Republican party will exist after
Republicans are made to understand that
politics are to be utterly ignored in the APP
pointment Of postmasters, collectors, land
agents, clerks of every degree, and all the
minor Offices Of the Government:
Perhaps the Chronicle looks upon party
organization as national curse, and is
yearning for political millennium when the
lion and the lamb-the loyalist and the
disloyalst- lie down together" But
we fear it will die without the sight. Parties
will continue to exist, and all wise states
men believe it important that it should be
so. One class of men will continue to act
with one of these parties, and one class with
another. II is the duty of every man to
support, by all honorable means, the party
whose principles he approves. To denounce
the practice Of distributing the offices Of a
party among the men who placed it in power
as demoralizing and dangerous is the verriest
nonsense ever uttered. 1t would be quite as
senseless to condemn the people for electing
General Grant President for services to the
country, or for electing members of Con-
gress because they are Republicans. This
sort of political characterization may do
well enough to preach. But it will be many
long years before it can be practiced. The
American people always have and always
will prefer sense to sentiment.