The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1876-08-17

opinion, can advance to a resumption of spe-
Gle payments on its legal tender notes by
gradual and snfe processes, tending to relieve
the present business distress, If charged by
the people with the administration of the ex>
ecutiye office, should deem IL u duty to ex-
crcisc the powers with which il has been, or
may be, invested by Congress, as best and
soonest to conduct tho country to that bcne-
fetal result.
The convention justly ufIirms that "roform
is necessary in the civil service, necessary to
its publication, necessary to it's economy and
its efficiency, necessary in order that the ordi-
nary employment Of the public business may
not be prize fought for at tho ballot boxE-
q brief reward Of party zeal instead of posts
of honor assigned for proved competency and
hold for fidelit5 fnStiie public employ The
convention wisely added that "roform is nee,
cssary even more in the highor grades of the
public service: President, Vice President
judges, senator's, representatives, cabinet of
icers; these and all others in authority are
the peoples servants; their Offices are not q
private perquisite, they are a public trust
Two evils iufcst the official service Of the
Federal Government. Ono is the prevalent
and dcmoralizng notion that the public SER
vice exists, not for tho business and benefit
of the whole people, but for the interest of tho
Office holders, who are, in truth, but the ser
wants of the people. Uudcr the influence of
this pernicious error, public employmonts have
been multiplied, the numbers of those gathers
cd into the ranks Of the oiliceholdcrs have
been steadily incroscd beyond any possible re-
quircment of the public business, while inof-
Rcicncy, peculation, fraud and malvcrsation
of the public funds, from the high places of
| power to the lowest have ovcrspread tho
whole service like lcprosy. The other evil
| is the organization of tho official class into q
| body of political mcrccnaries, governing the
caucuscs and debating nominations Of their
| own party, and attempting to carry the cleo
| tions of the people by undue influence and by
immense corruption funds systematically coll
lectcd from the salaries of the Office holders.
Tho official class in other countries, some.
times by its own weight and sometimes
| i'll alliance with tho army, has been able
to rule tho unOrganizcd masses oven under
universal ssfcragc. Hero it has already
gown into gigantic power capable Of sitting
the inspiration of sound public opinion, and
of resisting any change Of administration, un-
| til misgovcrnnent becomes intollerable, and
public spirit has been stung to tho pitch
| of civil revolution. The first step in reform
| is the elevation of tho standard by which the
| appointing power selects agents to execute
official trust. Next in Importance is a con,
scientious fidelity in the exercise of the aI,
thOrty to hold to account, and dis
mates The public interest in an honest,
skllful performance of official trust must
not be sacrificed TO the unsufruct of the in
cumbcnt. After these immediate steps, which
will insure the exhibition OF better exam.
| Piles, we may wisely go on to the Abolition
of unnecessary Offices, and finally TO the pa,
| ticnt, careful organization of better civil
| service system, under the tests, wherever
practicable. Of proved competency and fidelity.
| Whilp mn hn liSl, hu
methods, it might encourage delusivc cxpcc-
| tations if Withheld hero; hy the expression OF
| my conviction that no reform of the civil SER
wee in this country will be complete and
| permanent until its Chief Magistratate is con.
| stituLionally disqualified for recollection, ex-
pcriencc having repeatedly exposed the flu
tiity of self imposed restrictions by candi-
dates or incumbcnts. Through this soemni-
ty only can he be cIfcclually delivered from
his greatest temptation TO misuse tho power
and patronage with which tho Executive is
necessarily charged.
Educated in the belief that it is the first
duty of n citizen of the Republic to take his
fair allotment of care and trouble in public
affairs, have forty years us II private citizen
fulfilled that duty. Though occupied in al
unusual dcgroo during all that period with
the Goncords of government, | have never
| acquired the habit Of official iifo, when
| yca and half ago, | entered upon my
present trust, it was in order to consumatt
roforms to which had already devoted sew,
cral OF the best years of my life Knowing
as do, therefore, from fresh cxpcricnc. how
| great is the difference between gliding
through an official routine, and working out
reform of systems and polio cs, it is impos
ible for mo to contemplate what needs to be
don:, in the Fondcral administration, with.
out an anxious sense OF the difficulties Of tho
undertakings. If summoned by tho suffrngcs
of my countrymcn to attempt this work.
shall cndcayor, with Gods hop, to be the
efficient instrument Of their wil.J
SAMUEL j. TILDEN.
To Gen. John j. McClernand, chairman;
Gen. w. B. Franklin, Hon. j. j. Abbott, Hon
III. J, Shaunh orst, Hon. IL. j. Redfeld,
Hon. f. s. Lyon aud others, committee,
sc.