Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-08-14
nm. Etl5r N hc Iri6anc.

enforcement I'd Vbsi he rcE,,rt!S a. r,.-
form iu The Civil S-rvicu H. furhijS
any officer Ol Ia. Fedriai GOverUmtnt
..lsking part IA The management OI p0-
hUcaI otS anl1 ViOrs, caucuSeS rOuvcu-
lions o. election campaigns" lie Iurblds
any aSsrsSmvut 10 bo made Tor pOiili, al
purposeS ON Federal oilicc-laldorS Thr
penalty Tor eXrr,,ng ANY political iIiu
elcs 4, ptTsmp;urN dismissal from ilic,
Th.y Is Not the hr-l time thai measures
al THIS snrl have been attempted, but
believe their success IL Yet ia tho future.
Il Is significant ut tho slight hold il has
taken upon the American mind, that
this order is to-day considered - novel,
and as much an innovation AS ii Il had
not been made nearly forty years ago by
Daniel Webster " hen he was Secretary at
State under President Harrison AN order
which he enforced himself ten years later
when holding the same position under
President Fillmore. by visiting with his
severest dlSplcSsure all Whigs who re
fused to subscribe to the compromise
measures oil 1850. That Is. Mr.. Webster
aimed Ia secure the complete indepen-
dence OF the Otlice-hOlders by making
them support policy against which their
conscience protested and their manhood
reLellCd. Shall history again repeat L.,
sell cannot sec that the acceptance
nd adoption OF this principle wOuh he
eIedilable 90 the character or profitable
Ia the intort SIS of The American people.
Il would be an uGdOUbicd and unmitj-
gated evil and scandal ihSt every man
appointed tO Federal Office should feel
himself obliged TO wear The livery and
do the political drudgery OF the Admin
islrAiion appointing hun. No position
can De more hUmiIiatiug than this, unless
it De the attitude Of absolute inactiOn and
neutrality which this order prescribes tor
the Oflice-holder. Why Is il not Just as
offensive. degrading aud humiIiaIing to
tell man be holds office on condition
that he abstain from politics, as that he
holds II on condition THAI he take al &C
tive and noisy part in politics Large
business Trims axe sometimes accused OF
attempting 20 i0illeuce the pOiit.ca. &C
ton 90 their employees, Ou. 1 never
heard SuCh attempts pOiu.ed out tor em
ulatiUn; II j. always for shame. IDe
Democratic head OF a mandatory who
should undertake 70 tell bis men what
meetings they should " should not
tend Vut ol business nOurs would DC h'Ij
VI to Republican eNecrSuon. | Go no.
sec whN lac President has any thing uOre
o. 30 with the manner 10 which Office
holders spend their uma outside OF bus
mess hours Iu4n The head Ol any other
business hrm. IL Is true, that he. like
the drv goods merchant OF ths ordinary
hOu-eaetper, engages the whole time OF
his servants, and "a an emergency, hAe
them. be commands thei, whole time
Bot il Is also ira, thSt nature requires
ard custom preScrIJeS Only certain
routine Ci du-y within limited and ST
time. sud outside of that .hl man belongs
20 h.ose.t stone. The President Ike
any other master. has the legal power ;o
dismiss a man Tor any cause wnstOver
blt has be The moral right 90 dismiss him
for anything bu. ueg,eo, ol hi> CIioial
duty especially tor doing what every
American citizen has tCCa laugh. Io con
slider one oi his first patriotic duties, II
politics ale To be divorced from the Civil
Service. what has tho President to 10
with mans political work, provided he
does thoroughly the Civil Service he was
hired 20 dO2 For years u has been dlnned
into our ears tha. every good citizen
should attend primaries aud See 10 Il that
only good men are Pnl IN nomination.
Does the office holder cease 10 &c = citl
zen Has ne no duties 70 perform IN the
way OF selecting good men aud rejecting
bad men, Has he no interest IN the it,
teg1i,y aud ability OF any Office bat his
owD?
Indeed. the case j. iar stronger than
have put Il. The President, unlike the
head of business firm. i. with every
other oilice-holtler down 10 the foot %
the ladder. himself servant. \ mau
who absolutely owns factory has the
RIGHT o. prescribe the terms on which
men may work in il hut the President
has no such right with officers OF the
Federal Government, who are but his
fellow servants The law, which Is
above President and department clerks
a!ike,-the law. which Is the voice OF the
people i'm organic. concrete form, is alone
able 20 DO this. utterly deny that the
President has any right TO prescribe or
prohibit outside the requirements OF the
law. lie j. TO execute. not TO make the
law. One oil the grandest and best OF
the old Revolutionary declarations IN
New England was that the COlOnists
msde their resistance Ito the end that
We may have government OF laws, and
not \ government OF men," l maintain
that the order of President Hayes is di-
rectly in the teeth OF the letter. and still
more Of the spirit OF that declaration.
The President is indeed clothed by the
Constitution with the power of appoint
ment. and, inierentially. with the power
Of removal bat this great power Is 10 be
exercised with discretion as we'll as with
conscientious fidelity; and here. in this
very power. lies the beginning, II not the
ending, OF Civil Service Reform. Give
Us good appointments for all offices and
Civil Service Reform is in fair way TO
become an accomplished tact. But It
this great power OF removal Is TO hang
on any arbitrary thread whatever, II II
is 10 be held over the heads OF Office
holders with the threat from The White
House that il shall ial. on any one who
exercises q light and performs duty
common 10 al American citizens, II
seems 10 me- an abuse which puts the
President into the position o. au ABSOLUTE
monarch. and clothes him with the power
of LAYING upon persons holding office
conditions not required y law, 10 con
fict with their nights a. citizens, derog-
slory to their independence ss zen.
When man enters Office, he takes
certain prescribed oath as 10 his loyalty,
L. ctaaia1oa ~ tho constitution anu