New-York tribune., 1877-03-10
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

We publish this morning an able and COM
prehensive article from DR.. Prentiss upon
Civil Service Reform. This paper Origi-
nally read before well-knOwn social and
literary Society of City Clergymen. Its
writer is the brother of the late s. $.
Prentiss, who in his time was one of the most
distinguished orators and statesmen OF the
South. Mr. Premises article comes at an Op-
FORTUNE moment. 1t shows that the cultivated
and intelligent classes are looking with inter
est to that reform of great evil which the
new Administration promises. There will be
found In it succinCt history of the unfortu-
nate rise and of the malign progress of the
Spoils System which from small beginnings
has become so powerful. To read of the time
when it did not exist, when Presidents made
hardly any removals and were governed in
making new appointments by their knowledge
or conviction of the fitness of the candidate,
is like looking backward instead of forward for a
political millennium. The present method of fill
ing the Federal places has hardly any open de-
Tenders for the excellent reason that it is entirely
indefensible. The men who avail themselves
of it, to secure and retain power, will not say,
if pressed, that the system is a good or even
tolerabe one. But parties need it, or think
that they do. Every member of Congress
whose tpolitics is of the dominant sort natur-
ally cings to a system which substantially
gives him command of all the post-otces and
custom houses in his district and secures him
several champions who take care OF his III
terests at home while he is serving his country
i'm Washington. Men possessed OF political
power do not readily resign it. Congressman
under the modern system secure an influence
and power utterly foreign to their Office, and
which were never contemplated by the trainers
of the Constitution.
We are not surprised to find DR.. Prentiss
recurring to the admirable letter in which
President Hayes accepted his nomination. The
evils of the present system have rarely been
set forth with more perspicIity and force than
in that letter The gist of the matter as there
stated is that "Oiices have become not merely
"rewards for party services, but rewards Tor
"services to party leaders," From these few
words almost every evil to which governments
are exposed may be deduced-incOmpetenc
dishonesty, and the prostitution of the power
of place to the service of factions quite as
often AS of parties themselves. We have now
in office q President who before his election
distinctly announced his dissatisfaction with
this condition of things, and vino was voted
for by thousands simply because they believed
in the justice and sincerity of his sentiments.
Those who sustained him during the canvass
and who are now in Congress, accepted his
views then, and should not now abandon
them. We do not know how far the President
is inclined to take Independent ground in
carrying o'x his opinions, or whether he will
resume boldly the authority which the Consti-
tuition confers upon his Office The evil of
which it is SO necessary that we shOud be rid
was emphatcally the evil of the last Admins
tration, and unquestionably the people have
expressed decided desire for its mitigation.
The President is for "reform, thorough, radical,
and complete.' Undoubtedly so far as his
power extends VIC shall have it, but that power