The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-04-11
csuil Service and Mr.. Curtis.

C;v;l.sery!ce reform is more indebted 10
Mr. GEORGE WMLI,A CURTIS than TO any
other man for what success has a'tenueo IT,
Everybody knows that General GRANT mace
II an Administration measure, and that nc
has enforced the rules of the reform tn sese-
,oI noted cases--:hat of the office oil post
master Of Philadelphia being one amohgss
them, II has been for some time reported
,b,, he has not been adhering strictly to those
,,,es but has departed from them in several
instances in manner that showed very
nointedIy his indifference to them. And Mr..
C,arrs has testified to the accuracy Of this
Statement. by not only resigning his position
as a member OF the Advisory Board OF tho
Civil Service, but declaring that he resign;
for the reason that "the circumstances under
which several important appointments have
recently been made seem to show an aoan'
donuent both of the spirit and letter OF the
civiI.service regulations" Il is addressed
to the President, and, after giving the reason
stated above. concludes with the following
assurance, which. under the circumstances
j.. 10 say the least, little singular: In so
doing / beg to assure you Of my warnes'
wishes. and of the continuance of my most
earnest efforts for the success Of your Ad
miniStraton."
Mr.. Curtis is certainly very consistent In
resirninc his position in the Board, but we
do not see that ne is equally consistent IN
pledsing himsc!fso warmly 10 support Gene
raj GRANTS administration. But Mr.. CRUTIS
Is not singular in thus kicking little in the
traces, and then quoting down to the most
docile temper, and pledging bis fealty tc
General GRANT. Senators LOGAN and FERRY
were prominent instances Of this sort, and
there are several others. Nothing runs over
and smooths down the politicians like the
strong will of military man. He has few
words, no apologies and no explanations
and never deigns recognition of any for
NAL act of the humiliation at bis feet Of any
of them. Yet they come down to the " bull
ring gently and srbmissively, after mere
firt OF personal independence.
But rs to the civil-service reform, 1t has
turned out as the Dispatch said it would
all humbug. The regulations of civil ser
vice were with General GRANT sef-imposed
and without the force Of law. He could oh.
serve them or not, as he chose; and 1t is not
hard to see that he would not carry his re-
rard for them to the extent Of obeying them
when they were in conflict with his convent
enee or his wishes. So he has observed
when he was inclined to do SO, and he has
disregardcd them when he has not been SO
inclined.
Civil-seryice reform Is only practicable by
an amendment to the Constitution which
shall fix the tenure Of certain Offices for life
except for incompentency or infdelity
Nobody in the Republican party-not ever
MIR. CURTIS. tho father Of civil retorm-wl
desert General GRANT for playing fast anc
loose with the rrai shackles Of civil-servict
reform, and the Democrats care nothing
about it. Il is only matter for the " ins
and "outs " in the Republican party.
The New York Commercial Advertiser
has the following humorously satirical para
graph on this resignnti"," Of Mr.. CURTIS:
..olnce the Irish poet wrote 60 t.ad-r,,
1 Know WI %s HT sna Sss s s.
10 die, there has been nothing better calcu
lated than the above to Grille the affection
ate breast. When the undertakcrs have pu
the poor dead bantlng in its little bed W,
shall ask George William (Curtis) TO show u
where the grave is, that we may ut interval
turn aside from the hustle of daily pursuit
and repair thither TO shed few bucketsfu
Of memorial brine"