Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1876-08-08

ordinary employment of the public
business may not be q prize fought for
at the ballot box; brief reward of
party zeal, instead Of posts Of honor
assigned for proved competency and
held for fidelity in the public employ.
The Convention wisely added that re-
form ~ necessary even more in the
higher grades OF the public service:
President, Vice President, Judges,
Senators, representatives,, Cabinet
Officers; these and all Others i'm au-
thorityare the peoples servants, Their
officers are not "a private peyQuisite;
they are apublic trust.
Two evils iurcst the official service
OF the Federal Government. Ono is
the prevalent anddemorulizing notion
that the public service exists not for
the business and benefit of the whole
people, but for the interest of the
oillcchOlders, who are I'm truth but the
servants Of the people. Under the in
iluCnce Of this pCrnicious error public
empIoymcnts have been multiplied.
The numbers that have galloped into
the ranks of the stockholders have
been steadily increased beyond any
possible requirement of the public
business, while iuelliciency POPULATION,
fraud ana malvcrsaJiom Of the public
funds from the high places OF power
to the lowest, have OyCrgpread the
whole service like q leprOsy. The
other is the organization Of the official
class into a body of political NOR
cenaries, governing the Caucusus ana
debating tie nominations Of their own
party and attempting to carry the
elections Of The people by undue in
iluCuUe and by Immense corruption
funds systematically collected from
the salaries or fees of OlliceholiersF
The official class in other countries,
sometimes BY It's own weight and
sometimes in alliance with the army,
has been able To rule the unorgauiIed
masses even under universal suffrage
Here it has already grown into a
gigantic power, capable of sitting the
| inspirations of a s0uud public upiuiOn
and of resisting an easy change Of adj
| mInistration, until mismanagCment
| becomes iutolcrablc and public spirit
| has been strung to the pitch Ola civic
! revolution.
The first step is reform is the eleva-
| ton Of the standard by which the APP
| pointing power selects its agents to
/ execute official trusts. Next in i'm
| pOrtance Is a conscientious fidelity in
| the exercise Of the authority to hold
| to account and displace untrustworthy
| or incapable subOYdinates. The public
| interest in an hCue9t, skillfui per-
| formance Of official trust, must not be
! sacrificed to the usufruct of the i'll
| cumbent. After these immediate
STEPS, which Will ensure the exhibition
! of better examples, we may wisely 90
| on 10 the abolition of unnecessary Off
/ ces and finally to the patient, careful
| organization Of n better civil service
! system under the tests wherever practi-
! cable of proved competency and iidoli-
! ty. While much may be accomplished
! by these methods, it might encourage
! delusive expectations if | withheld
! here the expression of my conviction
| that no reform of the civil service in
! this country will be complete Orperma-
nent until its Chief Magistrate Is Con-
stitutionally disqualified for re-elec-
! ton, experience having repeatedly eX-
| posed the futiiity Of self-imposed re-
/ stTiCtiOns by candidates or inCumhents.
Through This soiemnity only can he be
! delivered from his greatest temptation
to misuse the power aad patronage
! with which the Executive is neCessari-
ty charged
Educated in the belief that 1t is the
first duty of Il citizen Of the Republic
to take his fair allotment of care and
trouble in public affairs, l have for
! forty years as private citizen fulfilled
that duty. Though occupied in an
unusual degree during all that period,
with the concerns Of government, |
have never acquired the habits of
official life, When year and a half
ago | entered upon my present trust,
it was in order to COnsumata reforms
to which had already devoted sever
al of the best years of my life. Know
ing as | do, therefore, from fresh eX-
pericnCe how great the difference is
between gliding through an official
routine and working out reform OF
systems and politics, it is impossible
for me to contemplate what needs ia
be done in the Federal Administration,
! without an anxious sense Of the diff
Culties Of the undertaking. If sum
moned by the sulirages of my cOun
trymen to attempt this work, ! shall
endeavor with Gods help to be the
efficient instrument Of their will.n
LSigned.
SAMUEL ]. TTLDEN,
! General Jno. a. MCCLERNARD, chair
! man; General w. b. Franklin, Hon.
]. J. Abbott, Hon. II. J. Gpaur
horst, Hon. II. J. Redfeld, Hon. f.
S. Lyon and others committee, &c.
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