Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-05-21
The civil Service Reform.

resignation OF MIR. Curtis and Mr.. MedIll,
former members of the civil service commits
sion, grew out of this distrust. They were
gentlemen heartily enlisted in the work
and it having become apparent that both
the letter and the spirit of the rules, which
the President had adopted and which he
promised to give fair trial, were frequently
disregarded in the appointments made during
the past winter, Nj. Curtis and MIR; Medill
could s.t; With any vt rssps.: longer re-
main as members Of aSfoafd whose carefully
considered metEsas Of reform were followed
y. set aside as suited the exigences of party
or the favoritism of the appointing power.
There is, however, much that is unfair in
the newspaper criticisms of the proposed re-
form itself, Of Mr.. Curtis, and of the Presi-
dent.
A thorough reform of tue civil service of
the government is what Mr.. Lincoln would
have called "a big job One method Of
attempting it has been by Topping off some
OF the uglest branches of this tree of govern
ment pa tronage. This method in many quar-
ters has been received with much favor, as it
always left the question of cutting off any
particular branch open for argument, en-
treaty, persuas ion, or party advantage.
Me mbers Of Congress and party managers
could favor this plan, because they could still
hope to show that their friends were too use
ful to be reformed out, or lett out, of the pub
lie service, by any competitive examination.
This method, however, left the root of the
evil untouched. A reform that does not reco g
uise that the corruption of the civil service
grows ou5 of the vice of giving Office as re-
ward for party work is, in reality, no reform.
1t is only temporary expedient that may
give the public better Off ;er here and there
but will bring no genuine reformation. So
t II as Mr.. Curtis represented the proposed
reform, he struck at the root of the evil.
Under his plan, merit and honesty were the
Jnly tests OF f.ness for off ce; and the rigid
rplication Of these tests in all departments
0. the civil service would, without question,
reform corruption and incapacty out Of it.
The experience OF the last few months has
shown that the President has endeavored to
K, ep alive the old doctrine of rewarding-
party or personal friends by official patror
age, while conforming, so far as be could
with that purpose, to the rules recommend
| cd by Mr.. Curtis. The result might have
been anticipated. Patronage has got the
| better OF the reform, and for the time being
the real life of the rules has gone out of them
! They are suspended in numberless exigen-
cts. TIE supposed necessities of party have
set aside the regulations so often that they
now seem to Lave no vitality of their own
but are only resorted to when there is n,
pressure for different course.
But the Preside mt ought not to be Judged
too harshly not that he has done all tha
was possible, but it is gain to have attempt
Ell any reform. No ma but president car
know how much a president is beset by Office
seekers and DO man but PRECEDENT ca
uly understand how difficult it is to ignore
politics in appointments to Office. The
President probably never fully conprehen1ed
the requirements Of Mr.. Ulrtis's rules ant
when he prom ised TO give them fair tria
ne doubtless expected that there would still
oe latitude OF Interpretation, and opportunit,
fIr recognizing party service. 81 lar as th'
rules were concerned, this was fatal mis-
take Better no rules, than a law which i
ue ed as a convenience. The reform itself
brought toto contempt By this fast and loos
method Of using it. Yet the President wa
iJuotless, sincere in adopting the rules
md In his promise to adhere to them
Ills mistake was ln slpposing that he coult
give them any vitality without adherin
20 them rigdly. As rules they becam
worthless as soon as it was understood tha
ne did not regard them as operative in a
cases
1t suits some critics now to call the rule
failure, and it pleases them to style MI
Curtis visionary. This is quite too fas
criticism. The fair trial promised th
reform has not been had The Office seeker
have prevented that. 1t could not hav
pleased them if it had been thoroughly an
honestly administered. but the countr
would have been greatly benefited by such
trial. But Mr.. Curtis was not Presiden
and while he could recommend scheme til
President only could enforce it. Tha
President Grant has proved unequal to thi
work is not the fault of MIR. Curtis, but it
- the misfortune of the country.
There is no need, however, of abandoning
the reform. The President has apparent
surrendered more to Importantly than to hi
own inclination. The members of the CJm
mission who take the places of Mr.. Curt
= and Mr.. Me1il, are men who have fai
public fame. Mr.. Shelabarger has had a
: honorable record, and Mr.. Eaton has a rep,
= tation for honor and honesty. The new boal
may save something from what seems no
to be almost the wreck of the reform. Wit
the Presidents help they may do muc
Without it neither they nor any one else CT
do anything, except in preparing the publ
mind, and showing the need of the reforl
u The rest is for the people to do. A rep1
+ sentative government Is seldom worse thu
" the body of the voters that constitute i
d The President and Congress are not off
l. over in morality or honesty than the m,
i who manage and carry the elections. The
y will be no thorough reform in the civil 81
L vice of the country until the pt ople dema
al 1t; and demand it with something of Il
/ same temper with which they DOW denoun
IS what is popularity known as the "sala
grab" Wv,
he
Isl TIE ERIE revolution last year has be
re proved before the New York legislative col
Il nittee, as they report, to have been acco
o. plished by lavish exnenditure of money