New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-09-05

of the device of sending Commission 10
Louisiana, he did approve OF the Withdrawn OF
the troops from the Southern State Houses he
did recognize the fact that there was no other
course for The President to pursue and he be-
leved that the treatment of the South by the
last Administration had been making the Re
Subican party weaker and weaker. 81 don't
" intend.r said Mr. Dawes, "that the Presi-
"dent's Southern policy shall fail for want OF
"my support and if it does fail he thinks
the catastrophe will only he brought about
by misconduct on the part Of the South Itself.
with regard to the Civil Service Reform
movement however Mr.. Dawes expresses him.
self doubtfully and coldly. Like everybody
else he declares that he has only cone theory
"ofCivil Service, and that is. that the best man
"should be appointed to the public ser
vice. But he is convinced the President
will not reach the desired result by means of
cast-iron rules, limiting the exercise OF his
Judgment and substituting for practical sense
such as intelligent men try to apply to the man
agement of their private affairs, an elaborate
system of elegant theories which reduce the
appointing power to a matter of rcd-tape and
routine. This is only breaking down one ma
not promise TO bc any better. Let the Presi-
dent he held responsible for the fitness OF his
Cabinet, the Secretaries for the heads OF bu-
reaus, and these officers in turn for their sub
ordinates and give every man in authority
liberal discretion in choosing those under him !:
then we shall have a respectable and efficient
Civil Service, or if we do not the people will
know whom 20 hold responsible for the failure.
The trouble with some of our TefOrmers
seems to be the idea that the service can be
30 organized by paper rules that. the moving
IMPULSE once given, it will roll on forever like
the solar system, by the operation of its own
laws. Officers will be put in by routine and
kent out by routine, and when they have re-
volved in their orbits for fixed period, they
will be eliminated from the official universe
by the agency of some preGxisting and auto
matte force All this is deluson. The chief
art of government is che choice of instru-
ments and there is 10 choice where there is
10 opportunity for The exercise of sagacity and
prudence. The responsible head ought to be at
liberty to select a capable subordinate wherever
lie can find him, and 10 keep him as long rs
he is useful. lie should be quite free TO take
his apponfee, if he see tit, out of the bosom
of n family which il already Teasing upon the
sweets of Office or ont of the thick of party
convention, or to renew the commission OF n
faithful and efficient public servant no matter
now long it may have been running. When
the Custom House IS turned into party ma
chine shop, rs it has been in Ncw-lork,
nothing is needed 10 reform it but the sharp
and fearless exercise of the Presidents discre-
ton. When the abuse OF ncpOtism shows
itself, surely il can be corrected promptly
enough without dschalgiug every good clerk
who may be cursed wi5h relationship 90 an
equally good cashier or book-keeper. In other
words, ii is possible to break down the ma
chine without smashing all things generally;
possible to get rid Of abuses without need
lessy increasing the difficulties of a real re-
form. These, if we arc moi mistaken. are the
principles of reform rs understood by Mr..
Dawes Chough We have not attempted to state
them in his lancuage) and it must he con-
feSsed that they contain great deal of COM
mOu-SpUSp