The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-24
Hayes as a Reformer.

Gov. HAYES has sought to make IL appear,
In his letter of acceptance. that the scan
dalous abuses in the civil service had their
origin forty years ago" and that "grad-
ually the appointing power in many cases
passed into the control of members of
Congress" Both these statements are I'M
founded. 1t is true that Gen. JACKSON
made removals from Office for political
reasons, but they were not attended by
the corruption or rascaliiies that have
been witnessed under Republican rule.
The appropriation of patronage by MEM
bors of Congress originated with the Re-
publican party, and was wholly unknown
to our politics until its ascendency. They
created offices and raised salaries for their
own benefit, and made the rule that Ihem-
bers of the House should control the local
offices in their districts, and the Senators
should have the patronage at large. This
was the condition of their loyalty to the
Administration, and was begot of bar
gain between the President and the Repub-
lican mnjorities in Congress.
When Gov. HAYES says of this patron
age, 1T is felt am confident, by large
majority of the members of Congress to be
an intolerable burden, and an ilnwarraut-
able hindrance to the proper discharge of
their legitimate duty" he boldly affronts
public Intelligence. Everybody knows
the very reverse to be true, and that large
sums OF money are expended TO get to
Congress, in order to control these Offices
and the patronage which goes with them.
Once seated, the member relies upon this
resource to aid his reflection, and to rem-
burse his original expenditures.
Gov. HAYES would reform the civil
service by perpetuating the tenure of
GRANTS retainers, by confirming the
corruption which now exists, aud by
closing the door against any changes for
the better. He aims to build up per-
maneut officeholding class on the English
model. with pensions, perquisites, and
privileges This will never do Rotation
in Office Is a healthy principle under
our system of government, which a set
of pretenders and self-appointed teach
ers have undertaken 10 revolutionize. No
sensible man favors indiscriminate re-
novals, but the Offices belong to the peo-
pie. The appalling corruption which
confessedly permeates the public service
longing the ascendency Of one party.
All the so-called reforms promised by
HAYES now, were promised with equal sin-
cerity and ardor by the very managers
who nominated him at Cincinnati, when
they made GRANT their candidate in 1872.
Here are the words OF the Philadelphia
platforms
5. ANY system OF the civil service, under which the
rbordinete positions OF the Government are consid.
and we therefore favor reform Of the system by laws
Sonesy ei"ney, and dey the essent1a 1 ausnnci
tlons for cubic POSITIONS without creating life tenure
The President sent messages to Congress,
published rules, and called in a commits
sion of well-paid patriots to aid him with
advice and plans. Mr.. CURTIS was very
enthusiastic, and glorifed GRANT and 80
did his associates. But after a short expe-
rience the sham exploded, and the coun-
try is now called upon TO sustain HAYES in
giving these corruptionists a life tenure.
The thieves in the departments, the Gus
tom houses, the post offices, the minis,
the internal revenue and the land Offices,
who have stolen hundreds Of millions since
the close of the rebellion, would have pen
sions in their old age il HAYES should be
elected President. This is the practical re-
form he breaches, and now the ofiicehold-
ing army, n round hundred thousand
strong, is enlisted with all its zeal IN favor
of his election. The machine Is run by
ZACH CHANDLER, Postmaster EDMUNDs,
and BILL KENBLE, just as it was run for
GRANT.
The Decline of English Commerce.