, 1875-02-01

toward civl.servico system whereby tho
Cabinet might changowithout notwithstanding
NIL tho subordinate branches Of the Govern
nlcnt.
II is certain that the Irresponsible Atinis-
try syatc,n Ina hccn n grcat blessing to tho
people Of Europe whcrevcrit l,ns boon ndopt-
cd. It simply moans Tint the Cabinet repro
setlta the policy Of tho majority sentiment Of
Tho popular branch Of rarlin1uont, When
ever tito Commons, or popular branch Of tlla
Parliament, votes want Of confidence in the
Cabinet, to which tho tleteat OF my Of its
projects in equivalent, tho Ministry rotircs,
md tho Chief afagistrate-King, Queen, En-
pcror, or President, rs tho case may be-
forms new Ministry out Of the personnel or
chiefs Of tho majority party. The system
originated in Great 1sritail, nnd Ina 6ince
lccn adopted by Germany, Austria, France,
Italy, Holland, Belgium, Scandinavia; in
fact, by MI the European Governments
except Russia and Turkey, which still
re'nain ontsido tho ralo Of constitu-
tonai and responsible monarchy. Under this
system the Ministers aro generally members
Of tho lower or popular branch Of tho Nation
nj Legislature, and always hayo tho privilege,
whether members or not. Of introducing their
bills personally, explaining then, md setting
forth their merits on the Aoor Of tic House.
Eut, under thia system also, the Chief Execu-
tive is always the head Of tho party in power.
Personally he is no partisan. III Grcat britain
the Queen IL either Liberal or Conservative
for tho tin,e being; in Germany tile Emperor
is either Conservative or Progressive; in
Franco the President is either Legitimist or
hadical, according to tho majority voice Of
tho Commons. The defeat Of tho ruling
party places him ut tho head Of the opposi-
tion, aud he calls about him Ministry
in full sympathy with the present
political status Of the people upon any
pending Issue. Tho great advantage Of tic
system may bo briefly stated to 10 in tho flex-
iblo adaptation OF tic Executive to tllo repro
sentative expression Of tho popular will, md
in the harmonyit assures between tho admin-
istrativo and legislative branches Of tho Gov
cr1,mcnt
TAo system Of q responsible Ministry would
llnvo tho same advantages in this country that
it lns in Europe, If properly applied. But
in ordor to assure these advantages, and strip
it of the dangers 1t would it would Involve
under our system Of rnr:y patronage, it
would bo necessary ~ TINT tho President
should coase to bo the recognized head Of
ono party throughout hiswho1o term Of of1ieo,
to tho exclusion Of tile other, notwithstand-
ing t may bo the majority mil (2) that we
should have u thorough, well-established,
and progressive systom Of civil service. a
constitutional amendment providing That
tho Presidential term bo six Or eight years.
md TINT the President be Ineligible for Sec
ond term, would substantially realize tie re-
quiremcnts Of responsible, flexible Admin
istration, which at all times would be in har-
mony and agreement with tho popular WILL
rs exhibited in the House Of Representatives
in Congress. The lengtl, of his term would
giyo the Executive IN element Of Inability to
guard against tho anarcllical tendency Of fro
1uent changes in the administrative Cabinet,
md his inelisibility for recollection would
tho trananlels Of faction and be the
| President Of the whole people. Tho
establishment by Inv Of permanent
civil sorvico, outside Of party changes, would
| render frequent changes in the Cabinet
feasible without endangering tho practical
workings of al1 Government machinery.
Under tho present party syston,, d frequent
chnngo Of Ministry and Executive power
| would speedily mnko the Government ser
vico political Bedlam, in which one set Of
ol1ice-holdors would SO rapidly succeed a,,-
| other that tho machinery would bo altogether
/ neglected and ruined. There il only ono
combination which could be worse, md TINT
ia tho headlcss system evolved out of the
political unconsciousness of tho Chicago
| Times,