New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-06-19
THE pANJC ABoUT CIVIL SERviCE RETORu.

THE PiNjt HbDtJ Wv oEh' itE hFfbhp'
While the Governors litigant of South Caro-
lima wcro fcnstng at Washington by invita-
ton of the President and while the New-Or-
leans Commission was holding wearisome in
tcrvicws with "dcputatons of citizens" OF
assorted character and color, 1t appeared
to impatient people that the Southern
question was settling itself at
very lcisurcly rate, and many caustic com
PARSONS between the promise and per-
Torrance of the President were furnished
by gifted editors whose souls dlated
with the proud consciousness of their own
ability TO bring these contentious TO Sudden
and prosperous issue if they only had the OPP
portunity. But the Administration has been
in power about 100 days, aud the Southern
problem now seems like Il chapter of Ancient
History. No one thinks of "trOOps" as
poliiical force. South Carolina receives no
more attention from the Federal authorities
than Massachusetts or Ohio, md tlo South
has no more OF distinct political meaning
than "thc West" or "the North"
4 retrospcct of this sort ought to allay the
uncasincss which is now experienced by good
people who have been looking for an instanta-
ncous regeneration of the Civil Service. Tie
President is quite as fully committed TO
reform the Civil Service IA he was
10 restore local sclG-govcrnmcnt to all
parts of the Union. His uttcHnccs show that
he has n profound and discriminating apprc-
citation of the character Of the abuses To be
outrootcd, and his course has proved that
he has honesty and courage and stcadl-
ness Of purpose TO carry through what
L. .1.rl II. ~ irmn her
been cccentricites of appointment and re-
moval which apparently had no place in any
orderly system of Civil Service or any other
service. There has been what looked
like tcmpOrIzing and trimming where
rcsolute treatment was demanded. Such
vagaries as the cight-ycar term, the
relationship test, the recognition" OF
color and the like, are not assuring symD-
toms. But the time has certainly not yet ar
rived when the country ought TO dis
honor the drafts which the Administra-
ton has made upon It's confidence.
The Government has ahcady instituted
an energetic ovcIhauling of the custom houses,
which have been the spots Of rankest fertility
for the growth of irregularities. There have
been c0mpasscd enormous reductions OF
expense and force III the departments, and
i'm some of them appointments and promotions
are regularly made on rational principles. But
besides This substantial progress in details
there has grown up II very comforting I'M
movement of sentiment which augurs still bet
ter things. The sympathy of Mr.. Key with
reform methods has been considered uille less
intelligent than that OF some OF his colleagues,
but that breezy letter of his could never have
been written in the confined atmosphere oi Il
department under the old regime and il will
doubtless prove n liberal education, not only
to the Alabama functionary, but to many other
funci0narics who have been accustomed to
batcn on public plunder.
The lesson from all this * patience and
faith. And if reform appears just now cs-
pccially to anguish it ought TO be rcmcm-
bcrcd that the Administration is graphing
with the great currency problem. After it has
been definitely decided whether 30 cents worth
of silver ought to be II dollar or only 30 cents
the President and his advisers will have less
10 distract their attention, and they can then
abandon themselves with singlencss of aim to
a determined and uurcmtting effort TO conduct
the business Of the United States upon purely
business principles.
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