The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1877-07-12
The Presidents Civil Service Order.

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Tho ordcr Of President Hayes pro-
bibiting officers of the United States
from taking an active part in politics
strike directly atthe root of gigan
tic abuse. This DIES not as is assurn
cd by tho New York Sun, make slav
cs OF them; but on tho contrary re-
leases them from the slavery of party
leaving them, Of course, free in
their opinions s,id votes. The intcr-
feronce of officeholders in politics has
worked incalculable injury to the
right of independent action, to the
suffrage, and to the proper adminisI
tration Of the governmental affairs
Any rests lotions, therefore, that con-
fines such persons to their official du
ties interdicts active partisaEship
cannot bo otherwise than beneficial
If tho observance Of this order can
bo enforced the cause Of civil service
r,f1rm will be materially helped l.y
it. Those who make profession of
politics do 80 in tho cxpcc alton that
it will lead to appointments to office.
Their SUCCESS in packing caucuses
making nominations, manipulating
priv ari' g, and helping the election
Ut their candidates at the polls by all
those arts and devices in which such
active partisans arc adopts has here
toforo boen regarded "a giving them
a valid claim to such offices as the
party in power may have the distri~
bulion Of. 1t is the ground upon
which every applicant for place hae
been i'll the habit Of putting his right
to political recognition, and SO far
as the supply of offices would meet
tn (emand the appointments have
beeh very generally used as set off
for services rendered. The first
thing, therefore, that professional
politicians have had to d. has been
TO wo:k for an office. Tho next to
merit retention i'll Office by active
lartisanship. But If office is here
"f er to be made tho reward Of merit,
and retention in oflico is to be based
on abstention from active politics and
fidelity to the duties that are devol-
red on the incumbent, and also on
honesty and capacity, as the old jeff
ersonian formula prescibed, machine
politics will soon become thing OF
the past, and it will be possible, as in
the earlier days of the republic, to
elect our ablest and pures! mon as
Legislators, and to build up by degrees
q civil service under chiefs tho fit
test to conduct tho affairs of tho do
partments they have been chosen to
manage, and with subordinates hon,
est and competent and dilligent. We
do not say that it is quito possible to
elevate our civil service to this hap,
py C ndition, or that in the chances
or changes Of parties some unfit men
may not creep into office and some
rogues be guilty of fraud, collusion
with outside sharpers, or of peculS-
tions more or less serious. But it is
clear that there can be no civil ser
vice reform that will work any ap-
preciablo good until office holders are
interdicted from meddling in politics
and the men who "run the machine"
are made to understand that their
political craftsmanship, however strong
and pronounced it may be, gives
them no claim to offices they are
morally and intellectually untitled to
till. President Hayes deserves crod
1t for tue PRONUNCIATION of an order
that knocks the cogs out of "machine"
politics, and it is noteworthy in this
connection that if such an order had
been in force at the last presidential
election it would Lave changed the
composition OF the Louisiana return.