New-York tribune., 1877-07-21

dignity, the gcntltncss ana inc courtesy WIN" We
have a right to expect from his character ana MS
position. Nothing in the shape Of evidence indicates
that the senate has exercised other than a proper
and honora Bile guardianship over tine rights. med
tated aught hut faithful performance Of the du-
ties with which Il has been iutnsed. The ver-
dancv. the vulgar1ty the insolence and the ignor-
ancc Of tho various remarks which have been put
into the Presidents mouth, the low ferocity, tie
narrow vicious and venomous motives, the rufhanly
methods ranging from brutal 10 cringinN which
have been attributed % the Senate. | believe To
have been chiefly II not solely. the creation OF va
grant brains But these vaEraut brains, this "caits
head and pluck" Is what the people are treated
10 when We attempt 10 get at the truth amt the
facts
This state Of things is recognized by the Reformers
themselves The Chicago Tribune saws;
The President alone is almost pOwcress IN making APP
pontments ur office, and cannot cX rcsc .itt power
without the cooperation OF COugressmen, aud especially
OF senator's
In the contest that must arise between n reforming
President ana ordinary Congress the latter nae u-
mensey the advantage ~ position The senate can block
the game instantly and in strictly Constitutional way.
The Reformers NJ the same time tell us that the
country is determined upon Civil Service Reform.
and will have it. But if the country will have it,
there is one simpls1 rect and Constitutional way TO
secure IL: elect Senators and Representatives who
are In favor Of it. This thecounry has not vet done
That is il has not elected Representatives who are
in favor of what the Refomers call Civil Service
Reform. ] wish to mark the distinction. because a
real Civil Service Reform is thing. and that fear
ful and wonderful chameleon which furnishes the
party-cry of the professional Reformer is another
The Reform organs admit, but with very little sign
of seeing any force in the admission. that the i'm
mense numerical majority is against them. The
Chicago Tribune SAYS:
The members of Congress- and especially the Senator'S
ore almost to opposed to change Of the present
system.
The Nation says:
There presses upon who desire reform the imme-
diate duty Of securing the nomination OF trust
worthy men for Congress.
The Congrogati0ndlisi says:
The trouble is with the people who composc the two
grca, parties They are not anxious for Civil Service
divorced from politics do not know prominent
leader IN either party who earnestly desires To see the
Civil Service separated from p0lucs.
Very well, that is all. This is purely Represent
ative Government. If the people do not want the
Reform Of Reformers they have a right not TO have
it. II idle TO say that they want il long they
neglect to say SO themselves, and indeed say quite
the contrary, in the only way provided for them to
speak. They may be very weak and very wicked in
not being for Reform the present system may be
everything that is bad and unweldy. Reformers
may shout themselves black in the face over the
corruption of Congressman; but the people
have right 10 elect such Congressman
as they choose they have a right TO a costly anu
cumbrous aud political Civil Service if they choose
it and long they do elect the present Congress
men who do vote for the costly system, it is beating
the air to say that they do not want it and do want
something else. If noise were the Constitutional
mode of representation, the Reformers would win by
large majority; but since the popular will is ex-
pressed by suffrage il il the Congressman who are
counted in. The President not elected TO execute
hs own individual WILL the will of Cabinet Off
cer or of "a Reform Editor or an anti-Reform Editor,
or any class clique whatever, but the Will OF the
people: and that will he Is not left 70 his own inner
light TO discover or to any camor of the popuace or
anv whisper behind the throne. 1t has one legal,
Constitutional and sufficient expression, which he
has no power to mistake and no right to disregard
1t is the right and apparently the duty of Reform
ers to food the country with tracts and missionaries
and 10 show the people the error Of their ways But
because people ought to he converted 1t is not wise
and 1t certainly is not RepubEcan-to chuck their
heads under water by main force and call il baptism
The President is under the Reign of Law muck
as the humblest citizen. II is not in his power to
define. and it would not be becoming in him to
attempt to reject. the influence of Senators and
A Congressman. as such. should
have no more influence than any other respectable
gentleman who should have been elected to Congress
by his constituents But the fact of his election
signifies that of all the respectable and disrespecta-
BILE gentlemen Of his district he is the one put for
ward by the people for the express purpose OF repre-
senting that district Of making known the wants
of that people of expressing their will OF exertng
their influence And for any Administration to
announce that il will not pay the smallest regard 10
this representative quality s a most arrogant and
unreDu lcau assumption Of power
One Of the loudest battle-cries Of Reform IS that
the business of the country Is 10 he conducted on
business pripcinles What successful firm ever gave
ont word that the clerks would be chosen by the
iunlor partner alone, on principles and by methoCs
of ms own selection that the opinions ot tire senior
mariners would neither BE- regarded nor considered,
and their recommendations would have no more
weight than those of any other respectable gentle
MANI
So far as the liberties of this country are endan-
gered bv patronage they lar more endangered by
IFS concentration IN one man than by ITS dinusl1n
among four hundred men. Amongst the best OF the
WITTY savings of Mr. Nasty was that wherein ne de-
clarcd that A. Johnson was about 10 swing around
the circle 70 arouse the people 70 the danger o1 con-
centrating power IN the hands Of Congress instead Of
diiusing il through one man." The professional
Civil Service Rcormer Processes to cure ali our evils
by difiusng al political power through one man!
July II, 1877. Ghu HAMILTON.