New-York tribune., 1876-05-24


recently by Mr.. Dorman b. Eaton, and
nassed by a unanimous vote of that body,
an the action of the late Conference, re-
yive the memories of it, The subject was
Civil Service Reform. How much came OF all
the discussion and the promises anu pro-
testations of parties at that time Is sur
ficiently indicated by the fact that the reform
has ceased to be topic OF prominence I'D
politics and almost passed out OF the memory
of the generation Of politicians which was so
profoundly interested in it, We are talking
more or less to be sure, about administrative
reform. which involves reform in the civil
Service, but the specific reform OF the ClVh
Service which all the politicians were so eager
for four years ago has been dropped and
almost lost sight of. The passage OF Mr..
Eaton's resolutions, the other night, in Nhlch
reference was made to the pledges of the Re
publican party in 1872 and the obligation still
remaining to redeem them, recalls the history
of that gigantic imposturc upon popular
credulity, and the unbluslIing mpudcnce with
which each party turned its back upon its pro-
fcssiOns so soon as an opportunity was offered
to put the reform in practice. Nothing could
have been more explicit than the terms IN
which each one of the parties successlvely de-
clared its belief in the necessity for reforming
the Civil Service. The Republicans at Phila'
dclphia resolved that "any system OF Civil
"Service under which the subordinate posi-
"tions of the Government are considered
"as rewards for mere party zeal is fatally
demoralzing," and that they were IN
favor of "a reform which would abolish
"the evils of patronage, and make honesty, ell
"ciency, and fidelity the essential qualifications
"for public positions" The Democrats at
Baltimore resolved, rs the Liberal Republicans
had before them at Cincinnati, that the civil
"Service of the Government has become
"mere instrument of partisan tyranny ana
"ambiton and an object Of selfish greed. IL
ais scandal and reproach upon free institu-
"tions, and breeds Generalization dangerous
"to the perpetuity of republican government.
1--WE therefore regard thorough reform OF
"the Civil Service as one of the most pressing
"necessities of the hour"
This was the way the Conventions talked
II seems even at this distance to be quite
sincere They are excellent resolutions. Bait
They hooked up il great many honest voters
For a great many honest voters read them
and said: "Iere now are politicians ana
" statesmen who see, as we do, the evil ten
"dencies and the bad results of existing habits
land practices in the distribution of patron
cage. They are very much in earnest abont
"the necessity for reform, or they wouldn't
"talk as they do about it. If we trust
them we shall have practical re-
form.- And so they believed the resolu-
L.. n
souls! What short work the politicians
made of their platform promises Immediately
the election was over and the game secured
First. the Republicans came into power or
rather were continued in its possession. 1t Is
ancient history how they red"-mcd the pledge
of the platform. Does any' -tin mber how
in the frightful orgies Of M. Wild political
debauch which followed at tho heels of the
triumph of 1872. the Civil Service Reform
was jeercd by Butler, scoifed mt by Car
penter denounced by Morton, repudiated
by COnkling, made the laughing-stock of
broken-down politicians, ridculed and de-
rided on the floors of Congress, spurned
from the Departments, and fooled with at the
White House, and how finally it was kicked
to death by cripplesl Or how Mr.. George w.
Curtis kept believing in it, and believing that
the party believed in 1t, and that the Prcsi
dent believed in It, until it slowly dawncd
upon him that the Great Silent Man was using
him and that Congress was making n butt of
him, when he sadly got out and let in Mr.
Dorman B. Eaton, who was similarly treated
by the practical politicians, until tho whole
business ended with the Presidents proposition
to abandon the reform if Congress would
only refuse additional legislation, which Con
gress not only did, but cut off the appropria-
ton likewisei In his essay before the Social
Science Association last May, Mr.. Eaton
characterized the business in the words, " And
/" thus, without 4 public reason or public act,
" a reputation, a suicide, and an insult to
"the President were accomplished together" 1t
was partly because of this shameful trcachcry
to its professions that, at the next Congress
sional elections the Republican majority in
the House was taken by the nape of the
neck and led to tho door. The people
said, Enough Of that sort; let us try
"now the other party that took high
"ground for reform that said tho Civil
"Scrvice was "a scandal and reproach upon
"f free institutions and that they regarded a
"thOrough reform as 'one of the most pressing
necessities of the hour" And they tried them.
There's been q Congress of that party in ses-
sion now five months. Thorough Reform "
Gracious Hold your nose and run your eye
back over the record these men have
made Scandal and reproachw Read the
letter of one of their chief appointees,
the Doorkeeper, who is "a bigger man
ethan old Grant," consider the sweeping re-
mOvals they made; turning out gentleman
and scholar from the Office of Librarian to
make room for political runner; depOsing
olorka of lonO eXneriencn and undnuhted