National Republican., 1877-12-21
Ciyjl-Seryicc UcfSrp,,

The Albany Erening Journal has preached
discourse to its readers on the text What
is Civil-Service Rcform?" which presents
the case MS candidly and plainly as it can
well be put. 1t is worth repetition, and we
reproduce it for the consideration of those
who have been taught to regard the Mvil-
service policy of President HAYES as She
sincere milk of the wood. II says:
The Republican party has declared for re-
form of the civil service and is true to the
spirit of the declaration. Its controlling elo-
ments are, indeed, held up in some quarters Us
unfaithful to their professions. We deny IT,
We deny that the great body of earnest Re-
publicans who stand with the Republican SON
ate are opposed to ciyil-service reform. We
deny that the Senate itself has taken any at
titude Of hostility. Wo deny that those who
arraign the Republican representatives as un-
friendly to reform have themselves shown any
intelligent grasp OF the real evils Of the old
system or any faithful support of the true
principles upon which the civil service should
be organized.
The first thing to do is to determine what is
not civil-service reform. The non politics or
der was not reform, for 1t didn't even toucll
the structure and principles Of the service. II
assumed to declare what officers should or
should not do outside of their ofiiccs-not
the service relates to the efficiency and fidelity
of its administntion-the order related solely
to tho political rights and privileges Of the OIL
GERS as citizens. There was not one word in II
concerning the manner in which official duties
should be discharged. Ii Is thus clear that the
order did not constitute the ground work of
any Just and sound organization of the service
Other propositions which have been put forth
in the name of reform are equally wide Of the
mark. 1t is not reform simply to declare that
members of Congress shall have moth
ing to do with appointments. The sclcc-
! tiOns must be made upon information from
some source. The President cannot know
every candidate. He must consult those who
do know, and why not tho Representatives Us
well US Others? Nor docs some of the prao-
tice We have recently seen constitute reform.
| To maintain that members of Congress should
have no part in appointments and then lot
Georgia Senator name marshal Is not reform.
To insist that Representatives should have no
voice, and then ask the Pennsylvania delega-
ton to select the Minister to England is not
reform. Such displays are simply mockery
of all sound rules or consistent practice.
Now, To determine how to reform, we must
first determine what there is to reform. What
are the evils Of the old system? We define
them Us an uncertain tenure, persistent con-
tention for place, and personal dependence on
tho appointing power Is the constant strife
it grows out Of the uncertain tenure which
makes an Office open to change at any time.
| Are there abuses in the activity of officers
| to carry out what may be considered per-
sonal political purposes Pit grows out of
the dependence Of the officer upon the ap-
pointing power for the retention Of his
| place. All tho chief evils of the sys-
tem-all those which cause complaint-may
be traced TO these sources. How are they to
| be remcded? Not by an Executive order
which doesn't touch their causes ut all, but by
such a change in the organic plan Of the sys-
| TEN as reaches the seat of the disease. Instead
| of leaving an uncertain tenure, make IL GER
tain for fixed term. Instead of leaving the
officer dependent on the appointing power,
make him removable during his term only for
inehicienCy or infdelity. A system based oh
these principles would give good officers make
them secure in their places so long as they
faithfully perform their duty, mitigate the
strife for oi6ce, aud impart independence and
stability to the service.
| If this be clear. rs we think ii is-if those
principles are just aud eificacious as We hold
them TO bc-then to sustain them is to support
| true reform. That 10 Just what the Rochester
| platform did. 1t commended legislation
making officers secure in limited fixed
tenure and subject to removal only as officers
under State laws are removable in this State
on charges to be regularly and openly pre-
ferred and adiudged." Here is a distinct
enunciation of tho elemental principles of re.
form. 1t was the first positive and definite
declaration of the kind IN any platform or OFF,
cial utteranCe. On the part of those who con-
demned the Rochester platform there had up
to that time been nothing but an Executive
order which didn't touch reform, and there
has been nothing since. We set the platform
against the order, and we say that the first is
truer chart of reform.
CAN ono generation issue a series of ire
deemable promises that are non-interest bear
| ing and that never mature oxcept as a Legal