Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-09-26
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
From an Occasional Co,re.Doadeat.l

WASHINGTON, d. c., Sept -, 1870
The President Is meeting with hattering success
on his tour, so far as the speeches made in his
honor and the oyations given him by the South
erners are concerned. They bail him as the man
who dared to remove the last vestges Of tyran-
ny from their sacred soil" They extend to him
the right hand of fellowship while proclaiming
their unalterabe attachment TO democratic princ-
pies,
While they are thus procaiming the end of
civil discord and the beginning of brotherly love,
and ten. W ado Hampton, falling in with the
march of events, praises MIR. Hayes the model
President, the democrats down in Mississippi are
| preparing to win by the same shot gun tactics
| which they used successfully against the rcpub-
cans who once were in the majority there. Now
| that the Northerners are gone, they turn them.
! selves to the task OF exercising the evil spirit OF
independent thinking in politics, and having no
rpet-bsggers to silence, they administer 10 the
natives of the State the Old allopath ic remedies
which wrought such magic cures, when the state
was afflicted with the disease OF rcpubljcanlsm.
Gov. Stone is as courageous on paper A. he was at
the time of the kempcr county affair, and his
lproclamations will be about as etiectual now rs
then in checking those outrages
| A strong point is made against the Presidents
method OF reforming the Civil Service. 1t Is this :
he is removing old officers, against whom no se-
rious charges sustained, and who are fully
Qualified to retain their several offices by reason
of their familiarity with their duties, and in their
places he appoints men whose natural quaica-
tons are in nowise superior and who will be obliged
to acquire the special knowledge which is already
possessed by those whom they dsplace. The
| abuses which exist in public offices should be
weeded out. But cannot those abuses be sooner
| and better eradlcated by old officers, whose
| thorough knowledge of the subject would enable
them to render prompt and efficient aid, than by
new set who, however jealous they might be,
would necessarily be compelled to LEARN the
| trade" before they could apply themselves with
intelligence to the task I.
But the defenders of the Presidents course say
tnat in order to successfully carry out the princi
| pies of Civil Service reform, those who are to
correct the abuses must be in full sympathy with
| the Presidents plans. The present incumbents
have become welded to the old regime and will
| not easily adapt themselves to the new order OF
things. 1t cannot be expected that those who
have been carrying on affairs under one system
can turn about and work heartily under another,
an antagonistc system.
We must, however consider the fact that the
present incumbents know where their interests lie.
If thew see that the President is bent on having
real reform, they will join in the work, if not with
zeal at least with thorough knowledge of the
needs of the service and desire to retain the
Presidents good will. Such efforts will result far
better than the labors of those who might work
with all the zeal desired, but who would necessa
nly fail through lack of practical knowledge.
II,
not be able to free themselves from the influence
of the congressman TO whom they owe their offices.
The new appolntees, on the other hand, knowing
that their appointments come from the President
Alone will look to him the sole power which can
remove or retain them. Yet the power of the Pres
ident TO make OF unmake will be felt by the men
now in Office just as much; and If assured OF IN
dependence, they can work just as fearlessly and
more effectively.
The influence of congressman, or the prominent
nf nh tot hn Ia
away with altogether. The President cannot, al
though a man of large political acquaintance and
a shrewd knowledge of mankind, know the quail
ties of any considerable portion Of those whom he
appoints to office. The ability and character of
men are best known by their neighbors, and those
neighbors are represented by their Congressman
who is chose because he is known to them and
known of them. The representative men. then,
whether they are congressman or men OF influence
in the State are they whom the President must
consult in reference to the appointments from each
State. The President, OF course, desires the best
men, and If he appoints new men he must become
acquainted with their qualities through others
Whether we call 1t advice or influence, the new
appointments are made just as the old were. But
| ii he already has competent men in office, why
should he displace them Their Influence Is
their known fitness for the duties imposed upon
them and that should be the most powerful OF rea-
sons for retaining them. In this connection 1t Is
rumoIed that an attempt will be made at the com
ing session to restore to the President the right
| of permanent removal for
| The nomination of Gen. Mcclellan by the dem
ocrats of New Jersey seems TO have been the work
of the galleries assisted by the delegates. The en-
thusiasm of outsiders smashed the states and car
ried everything before 1t, presenting novel
method of securing a leader for campaign
Probably the committee on resolutions did not
have in mind as possible candidate, gentleman,
who, according to the newspapers, had been paid
$50 600 year to waste So 100000 in New 1ork
when they drew up that article about the eXtraya-
giant salaries paid to government officials.
| In regard to the comments which this nomina-
ton has given rise to concerning citizen OF one
State holding office in another State, | see moth
| ing out of the way in that. If man il wanted
by the people in a certain position why should he
not occupy that position Why should the law
prevent the people from securing the best men for
the best places irrespective Of residence In the
| House of Commons there many members who
do not reside in the localities which they repre-
sent and vet those localities do not suffer through
lack of attention to their interests. If certain
district happens 10 be the home of two men whom
the people of England desire for their representa-
tlves and one only can be chosen by that district,
the other need not be debarred from serving his
country in the halls of legislation. lie can be
chosen TO represent the people by some other To-
cality. But in America our laws forbid q citizen
of one State to represent another State, and the
mutual jealousy of the several sections of State
prevents two citizens of the district from
serving the State in the same House of Congress
at the same session. If a solid republican
State possesses men of pre- eminent ability who are
| unfortunately democrats, the State adjoining,
which is democratic, cannot avail itself of the
vices Of such men. BY our system of representa-
ton the country at large may be deprived of the
services to which it is entitled l. G. the services Of
/ its best men.
| General News.