New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-27
OUTLINES OF MR.. HAYEss POLICY.

LIrIoN OF WHOLESALE CHANGES ON THE START
-FOUR YEARS SERVICE AN AID TO REAPPoINT-
MENT, EIGHT YEARS NOT.
IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TPx TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON, March 2i.-The pressing Importance
of the Southern question has obliged the new Adj
| ministration TO postpone temporarily almost every
other subject. When the Southern question has
been satisfactorily adjusted and single govern
ment, accepted if not acceptable to all classes of
people, has been established in Louisiana and South
Carolina, the President and his Cabinet will be able
to give their attention to of the essential adj
ministrative reforms which have been promised.
Among the most important of these is an improve
ment in the civil service of the country, which is to
be undertaken in earnest and systematic manner.
| In the meantime few fundamental principles have
| been laid down and announced from which some
thing of the character of the reforms proposed may
| be judged.
The reasSertion By the President of the right con-
ferred upon him by the Constitution to select the
| civil officers Of the Government in his own way,
| having always in view the highest good of the
public service instead of parceng out the positions
TO members of Congress TO be distributed by them
rewards for personal or partisan service Is reVo-
lutionary in itself No one who has not had an OPP
porunty to witness the working of the old system
for himself can understand to what great lengths
| Der of Congress to interfere with appointments
which by custom belong to another has been con-
sidered about in the same light volunteer advice
about anothor's private business, or intermcdding
between nan and wife.
| AN EXPERIENCE OF PROF. sEELYE.
might illustrate this by an incident which came
| 10 NV knowledge during the late session OF Con-
! gress. An old acquaintance aud valued friend OK
| Prof. Scelye, living in Western State-a man
! whom he had known many years and in whom he
! had unboundcd coniidence-wroe to him that
very improper man was about to be appointed post
master at his home, and that the incumbent, an eX-
ceient officer, and supported by large majority OF
the best people in town, was to be removed lie re-
qUcstcd Prof. Seeye to see the President ana pre-
| vent the outrage if possible.
! On calling at the White House. Gen. Grant in
formed Prof Scelye that the appointment in qucs-
tion belonged to a certain Senator, and advised him
| TO call upon the Senator and explain the case to
| bun. Prof Scelye did this, but the reception he
received was almost insulting He was plainly told
that the Senator could manage his own state Affairs
without the interference of anybody, and was adj
! vi5ad in effect tn mind his own business. Prof.
Secye aterward spoke about the matter to some OF
the Republican Representatives from the same state
While they admitted the trath OF tho Information
which the Professors friend hai given him, they
| were unwilling to have anything to do with the
| casa because il was matter belonging solely to
| the Senator. The candidate for the pGst-o1ce was
one OF his political Strikers" and they were I'M
wiling to have any interfering with their pat
rouagc. they would not NEEDLE with that of any
one else. Prof. Seeye was simply able to have the
appointmens suspended for few days, and then 1t
was sent 10 the Senate and confirmed in spite OF his
OBSTACLES To REFORM.
| President Hayes has thus far met with very little
onpostion to the abolition of the "spoils system"
but a contest with Congress Is inevitable. IL may
not come during the extra session III June, but II IL
does not it certainly will come next Winter. While
have no doubt of the result Of it, sustained as the
President will be by an almost unanimous pnbhc
opinion. he will need the aid of all good men to up
hold and carry him through. He will find his most
danrerous opponents in the employ of the Govern
me,t itself AS Gen. BrlstOw did in his war on the
Whisky Ring Conspracics will be entered into by
men who are in sympathy with Republican Sena-
tors and Representatives deprived oil patronage 10
bring into disgrace the men who earnestly second
the President in his efforts to make genuine re-
FORMS LIN spite of all that the President and his
| Cabinet can do. men like Maddox will be smugged
| into Government positions and pald Win Govern
ment funds to plot against the Administration.
This has been the experience OF every genuine re-
former who las held any important position uhder
the Government in late years, and it will be fresi-
dent Hayes's experience. l believe he has the
r,ouisite decision and lrmness to make his reforms
successful in spite of all obstacles, but the real
DANCER will be IN the secret conspiraces against his
poicv rather than in the open opposition to 1t that
i sure TO show itself sooner or later IN Congress-
Another serious obstacle TO civil service reform
was met at the very outset. This was the slmuita-
neous expiration during the first few weeks after the
inauguration of thousands OF official commissions
| I'm the early days Of the Republic, before puohc
oeicas came to he distributed as rewards for par
tisan service. no sweeping official changes were
made at any particular period OF Presidential term.
Vacancies were filled as they occurred nom the
death resignation, removal for cause, OF puDnc
servants. Some commissions expired during every
month of the year but the number Ot CASUALTIES at
any given period was not great
| Since the time of President Jackson, when the
"spo,ls system first gained a strong foothold in
this countrv the practice of removing political OPP
nonents and appointing political friends III their
naces and of doing during the first few days OF
| every new Administration, has become more and
! more common Gen. Harrison signed more commits
sions during the early part OF his administration
than any preceding President. When Mr.. POLK
| came in he filed in the first few weeks
| Of his term the most of the vacancies
which occurred, and rapidly as possible, and
| made some new ones This operation was repeated
by Mr.. TAYLOR, Mr.. Pierce, and Mr. Lincoln and at
the beginning of the other Administrations, when
the party in power had not been defeated no steps
were taken to prevent an accumulation Oh appoint
| ments during the first weeks OF each succeeding
Presidential term. SO great has this regular accu-
mutation become that if President undertakes to
fill the vacancies as fast they occur in the first
/ ~ du.i