Litchfield enquirer., 1877-11-22
WHOLE NO. 26s6
The Other siie.

The Other Side.
 v In the last number of the Galaxy Mir. John I. Platt writes in favor of a strictly political civil service. AS that is what we have now, and as there is no assertion that what exists Is not good specimen of it's kind, his position ls thai the present system is wise and ecOunnli- cal, or at least wiser and more econOInicaIthA one founded upon a different principle. For some reason, however, Mir. Platt does not con slider the objections to the present system, He afirTns, indeed, that the < service to De ren- dered by our officials of every name and grade is essentially political service. |" They Hfe all essentially not political services, and it is khe practice of regarding them as such that chiefly breeds the mischiefs which intelligent citizens deprecate Mir. Platt intimates tllnt when the majority of voters decree change in the gen eral policy of the government 1t is necessary, in order to carry out the change, that there shall be a ehange, of routine officers and clerks. s This in an entire miaaNpre- hension. X book-keeper in the Custom house can keep his books equally well under revenue a8 under protective faElA, and there is nOreasOn for displacing him in the fact that the majority has decided to substitute the one tariff for the other The argument drawn from a revolutionary or ailaFchical con-
 itionis not pertinent, for civil service system is to be founded upon normal, not upon exccp- tional, considerations.
 But the main point of MT. Platt's article seems to be to show that all citizens should take an active part in politics and therefore that .off1ce-holders should not be excluded in any degree. AS an abstract statement we cor dially concur in this position. But it fails as an argument iA the existing situation, for the reason that under a system of the service based upon political influence and patronage the of- holders exclude other good citizens from active participation in politics. Mir. Platt says: ," -.
 .''The danger that menaces the republic to- day arises from the fact that so many of the better class of citizens refuse to perform their part of it Tpolitical dutyl They stand too much aloof, are too unwilling to attend caucus es and to sit in conventions, but leave those who are less qualified either in intelligence or virtue to perform the important task of goverll- ing the country. Anything that tends to in- crease this unwillingness to do political duty inficts an injury upon the body-pOlitic- aims direct blow at the foundation of our institu- tionS"
 This is very true. But what is it that deters the better class of citizens, and what daily in- creases this unwillingness, and constantly aims blow at the welfare of free institutions? Tie system that MT. Platt advocates. That is the foe. That is the danger. Under that system, which converts the civil service into vast mass of booty, ''loOt," plunder, politics be- comes mere jobbery and trade. Decent citi- Zens know that the action of caucuses and con- ventions is largely put up job" They feel that it is a waste of time and trouble to attempt to interfere, and they abstain. Are this indif- ference and disgust likely to be cured by delib- erately justifying the system that produced them? That system is a vicious circle. Men oroY foA hooouco khaVy Nvsn GIfalxa Of their friends" and they use the patronage of their positions to maintain their places and their influence. This is no more necessary in civil than in military or naval service; and as the constant tendency is toward personal and not public considerations, it is the part of patriotism ceaselessly to withstand it.
 Now the remedy for the great evil which Mir. Platt forcibly describes, and, OfcOurse, without i'll intention advocates, lies not indeed in per- manent exclusion of civil officers from politics, but in system which prevents their illicit in- terest and unfair power in politics. Mir. Platt asserts; in effect, that Collector ought to take part in caucuses and conventions But can he do so with just regard for the rights of other citizens, when he has hundred or a thousand places to give and to take away? 'tIt is gen orally true" said Mir. Webster, in advOcatinga limitation upon the power of removal, 'that he who controls another mans means of living controls his will" This is the power that pat ronage confers upon those who command it, and it is this which gives Collector or any ap- pointing officer so immense and unfair an ad- vantage over other citizens that, as Mir. Platt truly says, they stand aloOf, and are unwilling to attend caucuses and conventions. This un- fair advantage of the leading office-holder not only practically excludes the unofficial citizen, but it is an odious and demOralizing tyranny over the subordinate. Obedience is the price of his place, and we have seen such subor1i- mates forced by this wretched thralldom to vote against their wishes and their convictions in or der to keep their places The remedy, we say, lies in well-considered system, which, giving these places not to influence but to proved ca pacity, and securing the place to fidelity and efficiency, puts the civil officers upon precisely the same ground with other citizens, and de- prives them of their illicit interest and unfair advantage. When such a system shall be adopted and enforced, there will be no reason for direct prohibition of office holding control of politics But until it is established, the only way to deal with the mischief, to emancipate the subordinate officers, and to encourage good citizens to come forward, is to prohibit the in- terference of patronage with the freedom of popular elections, and to take good care that the prohibition actually prohibits. .-Harper's Weekly.