, 1877-07-09
orN, DIX ON crV11-sERv1cE REFORM.

hENt Ian QN &4tAA-oElhf4tG A&a1 VAsAA'
Gen. JonH A. DIX hos writton letter to
President HAYES upon tho question Of Civil
Service reform, which is important both rs
showing lis own efforts to reform the service
seventeen years ago aud for ita warnings
with respect to tho future. 11e writes to tho
President not only that be ia In accord with
him on this question, bnt TINT ho himself In
1860 undertook 10 carry out the aame system.
At that time he was Postmaster at Now York,
having accepted tho oftlco from President
BUCHANAN for the purpose Of reforming GER
tain abuses which had led to heavy defa'ca-
tons. Immediately after entering upon the
duties Of his office, he gare II to ba publicly
understood TINT no should carry out threo
regulations: First, that there should be no
ginecurcs in tho office. II m omployo was
uscloss. ho should bo discharged. Second,
that ho should not be influenced BY the go
| licitatons Of Congressman In making up.
pointments, simply because thcy wero
Congressman. They must tako the samo
position as other citizens Of similar stand
lng aul responsibility. Third. that he would
not allow lis employees, or himself a. q pub
| lio ofr3cor, to bo assessed for political pur-
noses. In Issuing these regulations, Gen.
Dtx was not a moro thoorizor. He proceed
ed Ut ouco to put his theory into practice.
lIIs first act struck Ta,nmany Hall, Of which
ho wna member himaolf, like thunderbolt,
for ho discharged one Of It's lazy sachems,
who WA busily ak work in the Office doing
nothing. nult drawing large salary. He
soon after discovered tho nerhow Of United
Btatos Senator who waa tllltng q nominal ro'
sition, and OF went his hond Other useless
teatls went into tho Generals basket, ani
thon lettors commenced pouring In upor
him from Congressman, Tadmany sachema
md prominent politicians, askine hiu
to rstnstato thcir proseges, all which
rcauess were refused. The War au
pcryoncd, and The public attention
WIS called to more important ques
tiona. When peace was restored, Civil 6ervic
was forgotten, but now that Presidon
1IA41s bas commenced where le loft Of, no
In one post-otIlce, but all over the country
he comes out with hearty Endorsement
! esnccioljv Of tho Presidents order that fos
bids Federal officers 10 take part In the uahu
oaou,ent Of political conventions and In aol
ting up party caucuses and nominations. L
closing Ills iottas, ho addresses himself NOR
10 tho American people than to tho President
! Az tho result Of his observations throug
many yoars OF public service, ho givos hj
+ deliberate opinion that, " Unless the admir-
. istratlon Of cur political system can be frce
! from these damosdtziug practices, tendin
. as they inevitably do 10 grow more Dol
It and reckless, tho people will soon lo'
i their confidence in 1t, md be Il
r To consider whother thcrs is ar
romedy for thom except in como chant
% in tho form OF Government which will IL
"a pair ita representative character" IT
l. warning Is ono which politicians emu
g linltly thrust asido without soEioua cona
is ouonccs. Tho people themselves shou
n eiyo heed to It by rising Gu masse and su
porting tho effort Of tho.l'reaidont to rsfoz
9 tbo abusea which arc undermining tho !
O. publican form Of government and sapps1
at ita atrength. We print tho lostor slsewhes
IN and earnostly commend 1t 10 our foaders.