Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-07-18
CIVIL SERVICE.

lHe EteHfHg oOUfWUt Vi Wis eiay toho9
occasion to say word for the ma
chine politicians as follows:
We would respectfully suggest that, were the
President to reconsider his late order, and let
Federal oficeholders do as they please, the same
as other people, in matters Of politics, so long as
they shall not neglect the duties OF their Offices or
abuse their positions to the actual detriment OF
the service, he wonld do a wise thing. The civil
service needs reform, but not of that kind of re-
form which would abbreviate citizens political
simply because he happens to be an Of
iicer in the public service. The Republican Ma
tional platform hits the nail more completely on
the head, by requiring Senators and Representa-
tiyes in Congress to keep hands of in the matter
ofappointments to the Federal Civil Service The
control of official appointments by members OF
Congress is what demoralzed the Civil seryiceb by
making the latter mere machine for the grind
ing Of the axes Of a few men. 49,.
Has it never occurred to the Jou,m-
al that the surest way to break down
Congressional interference with the
Presidents appointments is to pro-
hibit those appointees from scheming
and wire-pulling for the reelection
of their Congressional patrons? If
the officeholders are not permitted to
pack conventions and dictate Con-
gressional and Senatorial nomina-
lions there will no longer be the same
temptation for Senators and Con-
gressmen to turn heaven and earth
to get their blowers and strikers into
Office, where they can be no longer
useful in running the political ma
chine. Besides, it is evidently as
much an abuse Of political power for
ofliceholders to use the patronage and
influence of the government to manip-
ulatc local politics as it is for Con-
gressmcn to dictate the appointment
to Washington clerkships. We fear
the Journal has herein betrayed an
insincerity in regard to Civil-Service
reform which is particularly discrca-
liable to it just now, because some
members of its staff have recently
shown a strong disposition to hold
ofiice.-Chicdgo Tribune.
The Chicago Journal is right and
the Tribune is wrong. The fact is,
that the President of the U. S., or any
other department Of the general Gov
eminent has not the right to abridgc
the privilege of the citizen referred to
by the Journal. The right of any citi-
zen to exercise his privileges as such,
when not a detrimcnt TO the discharge
of his duties and Of the service, no
earthly power can lawfully deny.
This, alone, to our mind, settles the
whole question, and yet ii is not nee
essary to put it upon that ground to
sustain the position of the Journal.
The Tribune says, in order to relieve
the President and the departments at
Washington, from the demands of
Congressman, deny to the citizen of
ficeholder his plain political rights
and privileges. That is, in order to
relieve the President from being dog
ged by three hundred Congressman,
strike down the rights of say one
hundred thousand citizen officers.
Let the President refuse to deal out
the offices to the friends of Congress
men, the only proper place to begin
this work, and then the office
holders will not be under any obliga.
tions to wire-pull, as the Tribune says
for their Congressman.
Again, the power and influence ex'
ercised by the President through his
appointing power, has been always a
| subject of complaint. In fact il
would seem that the President is try.
ing to correct this, among Other
things, in his civil-service scheme.
Let us look at this matter and dis
sect it little. The Presidents plar
is, according to the Tribune, to estab.
lish class of officers throughout thu
country, who shall be deprived of thu
privilege of taking any active interes
in the matter Of who shall be elected il
county, state or nation, or what meas
ures shall triumph. Perhaps the maj
who would best fill this bill, woult
be the cultivated foreigner, VIII
comes to our shores to seek his for
tune, but not to remain, and there
fore enjoys for series of years thu
protection Of our laws, and yet de
clines to take the oath Of allegiance
He could be very quiescent in regard
to our politics. He would enjoy the
holding of an office upon the terms
indicated by the Tribune.
But seriously, what is it that makes
the power Of appointment in the
President; in the heads of Depart.
ments; in members Of Congress, pc.
tential? 1t is nothing else than the
mercenary, trucking character of the
appointees; men who fawn that thrift
may follow. Secure, as appointees
men of independence men of back
bone: men who scorn to debase honor
and principle for place, and the pow.
er and influence Of the appointing
power is no longer detrimental oil
dangerous. Apply this theory now
to the civil service of the Tribune
Hunt the country over and get mel
that are capable, that will retire iron
participation in politics; deny them
selves the exercise Of the privilege O
being delegate to any politica
convention, for instance, for the SAX
of oflice--iill the tens of thousands o
appointive offices of the country wit
this class of men, and you have got
hundred thousand men who are back
homeless, void of independenne--ma
chines-and you have placed in til
hands of the President vast powe
in the shape of machine voters. Sue
a system is totally al variance wit
our institutions. 1t is creating an en-
shaved race of government officials
It may find favor in the midst Of tn
caste society Of the older, popnlou
aud opulent portions of the East, bu
it cannot elsewhere. The principl
advocated by the Tribune, is non
other than that sometimes applied b
|, wealthy corporations or individual
toward their employees, viz: that a
well as control their labor, they wi
direct, or at least 6urtail their polit
cal privileges.
What Killed Horace Greedy.
The New York Sun declares that
was the rejection of an article cor
recting an editorial in the 7rfbun
that caused or fastened the death o
Horace Greeley. The objectionabl
article which Mr.. Greeley wished t
| corracf was headed HCrumbs Of Com