Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-10-22
Civil Service Reform.


service, ny recent events as well as by arti-
c!es from the pens of gentlemen now o.
heretofore consp cuously connected with the
reform. Not long since the postmaster at
It Luis made and collected an assessment
Of FIVE per cent on the salaries of his subor
dinates. On being informed that such ae-
ssments were in violation of the Rules
he express, regret at his ignorance of the
rules, and gave assurance that he would re-
store the m ,ney; and as he seemed willing
CD be forgiven, TIE President Kindly allowed
him to remain in ofice. About the same
Inc the Collector of the port OF Baltimore
made an assessment upon the clerks in his
fice "a contribution to a political fund Tor
the election in Maryland this fall. The
clerks appealed to Secretary Richardson OF
the treasury department., and were informed
fuaS they We're under no obi CATION to pay
such assessments; but the collector has not
been removed or reprm aided, So lar as the
public knows. The FREsMAN has already
spoken of the contest in NJ ,ssachusetrs for
and the protest of the successful wing of the
party against tie use of off al patronage to
influence NOMINATIONS and elect ms; aud the
TACT that Gen. Butler, VINO has been, in Con-
gress, the must demon strative of those mem
bers opposed to the reform, failed Of the
party endorsement was significant sign of
tue attitude of the people upon the ques-
ton The recent election in California, in
which the party machine was Thorough bly,
smashed, and hotn D 3mocratic and Republ-
can nominations beaten without respect to
party, is also another sign OF the times. in
asmuch as Mr.. q nham, prospective candl-
date for the United States Senate and the
well known advocate of the Central Pacific
railroad monopoly and who has made HIM
self prominent at Washington as the enemy
of every phase of the reform of the civil
service, has been politically overwhelmed In
that State Indeed that election is most dis
tinctly a triumph of the people over the
rings and combinations and patronage TO
which they had submitted until they would
endure them 10 longer and rebel ed against
and vote according to their own judgment
untrammeed by official domlneerIng or party
NOMINATIONS.
Following close upon these events Mr..
E atom, of New York, now chairman of the
civil Service ommissiJn, and Mr.. Curtis
former chairman of the same Commission,
have caused 10 be published their views up
on the present prospects of the reform. Mr.
Eatan's letter called out by an article in
the Springfield Republican. and in it he very
forc'bly sets forth the obstac es IN the way
of the rapid progress of the reform. Uu'
doubte lily Mr.. Eaton does not exaggera'e II
President has had to encounter, d fhcultie,
growing out of the open and covert oppo-i
tIon of nearly every active politician wheth
er in or out OF Congress. IE Is by no mean
an easy thing to put at once in operator
and make work succcs sfuily a system which
tears up by the roots the prac ices o
po ltical and party managers for lofty years
and makes merit and honesty the only ties
IN the appointment or retention OF persons
IN off e; and this especially when the peop'
uave beccme nearly much denoralIzed a
the politicians, and seem still to Expect tina
active party work, rs are to he rewarded To
PARTY service by g I'd paying Offices CT prof
able contracts. There 10 doubt, however
bat, ID spite OF all opp s,tion, the reform
has made sene progress; aud that it ha
gained any advantage over the corrupt sys
ten of appointment eretofore in Is in
great measure due to President Grant. With.
out his C O, .eration 1t could have had no sue
C. SIS even lp the lowest class of appointments
aud lere seems 20 be no reason to d0ub
that he is IN favor OF some features OF the re
torn. He has, how ever, in many Cases I'm
questionap'y tailed to accomplish as muc
as seemed pus-Ibie; has suspended the bind
ing force of the rules particular cases
where there seemed especial reason for ell
forcing them; and has lost the opportunit
-, WI ch bold and vigorous adherence to thu
rules would have given him, to command 10
himself, and for the rules W ich he had aI
, proved, the respect and support of ever
fi;e-holder, and of the great IN ,jority of tn
= people who have 10 interest in office hold q
except desire that honest and capable per
Suns should be in off nal position. Indeed
1t sometimes seems as though the Pres den
no rule a
, them when there were no special Or politics
reasons for dIsregardng them, but payin
:. no respect to them when he found them
, the way OF what he desired to do, or whe
70 some /, hlentIal politician wanted an ofh(
). Tor himself or a friend. This certainly
not the way to make the reform a success
now or even at some remote future perloC
. and it is calculated to dshearten it's irlent
- aud encourage it's enemies. What is mo
u of all needed is that the President, who al
,e der the constitution has either immedia tel
y OF remotely the crntrol of the appointme
81 of every federal oficial-should IN ,nifest
, faith in this reform as he did his faith in Il
union cause when the army under his con
mand fought its way from the Rapdan
is Richmond. A clear rplehension of VIII
g, the reform means aud the mprehensvene
lis of it's application with resolute will to stal
ge by it 90 the part of the President, would
w once lift it out Of the region of doubt, al
at place it upon the high ground of assur
n success; and would bring to President Ora
IN solid and enduring fame. matching I'll
If greatest of his m itary achievements wi
n the highest trium ph of wise and Jar see
in craftsmanship.
l., Below will he found the article nv N
hs Curtis, from Ia, per's Weekly of Oct. 25r
h. above referred to. c. W. W.