The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-29


The most necessary of all reforms in THU
country is the reform Of the civil service
The whole government, in every branch
city, State and federal--is rotten and cor.
rupt Wherever the prying eye of an inves-
tigator reaches he discovers thieves plumber
ing the people, and it is not too much to say
that the country would be rich to-day, in
spite of costly war and bad laws, if it had
that restored to it which political robbers and
thieves have stolen from it in the last ten
years.
Nobody doubts this, but everybody asks
where the remedy can be found or where the
reform shall begin. What is worse, when
ever an attempt is made to begin reform in
the public service the politicians of both
parties at once cry out, mot here Do not
touch this Begin somewhere elser Thus,
in the House of Representatives just now
there is vigorous opposition made, in both
parties, to the proposition to transfer the
Indian service to the War Department, and
unless the friends of honest and economical
government rally and make their influence
felt this important measure, the real and
practical beginning of a general reform in
the civil service, will fail. 1t should be un-
derstood that every one of the higher officers
of the army is in favor of this transfer,
though many of them say that it will unduly
burden the army, that every friend of the
Indians who can speak from actual expert
ence among them-such men as Mr.. Welsh
and ex-Indian Commissioner Parker-favors
il, and that every notorious Indian con-
tractor and member of the Indian Ring Bit
terly opposes the change President Grant
attempted in the beginning of his admins
tration to place the Indian service in charge
of the army, and gave the following excellent
reasons for this policy in a message to Con-.
gress:-
While he had gwen the management OF fcw reserva-
tions the Society OF Friends, allowing them to
agents. lie said or superintendent and Indian
agents not on these reservations officers Of the army
selected Tho reasons for this arc numerous.
Where Indian agents are sent there troops must DO
sent also. The agents and the commander OF troops
arc independent of each other, and are subject to
orders from different departments Of the government.
The army officer holds position for life, the agent
one at the Will OF the President The former is per-
souay interested in living in harmony with the Indian
ana IN essaollsnng permanent peace 20 Inc emo 'nas
limits of civilized society the latter has no such
sona interest. Another reason IS an economic ono,
and still another, the bold which the government has
upon life officer faithful discharge OF duties
In carrying out given policy"
The Indian Ring at once became alarmed
at these words and checkmated the President
by causing the adoption of law prohibit
ing army officers from holding civil offices,
which law was passed mainly to disable
the President from employing army officers
as Indian agents and superintendent And
there the matter has rested until now. The
proposed transfer will effect a saving of at
least five millions, and probably not less
than eight, in the Indian and army expendi-
lures; it will prevent Indian wars; it
will secure honest and just treatment
to the Indians; it will destroy one Of
the worst nests of corruption in the federal
service, and it will give the country an ex-
ample of the use and importance of per-
manence in the civil service which cannot
but help very greatly toward general re-
form. Are the rogues and their Ignorant
tools to be permitted to defeat this reform?