New-York tribune., 1877-08-23
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.


HE REACHED THE PRESIDENCY.
70 the Edttor Of The tribune
s,p. The one thing at which Civil Service Reform
o,d all other Reform should above all things aim is
10 be straightforward and manly, to see things as
they are TO accept the truth and admit the truth
and sneak the truth and act the truth. In TINS we
NAV indeed learn lesson from England says lhe
sturdy Englishuan, ITO be a Member OF the brltlSh
Parliament is prize well worth any price that can
be paid for il short of wading through art ana upS
honor. No other great European nation has any
thing like il 10 offer to the ambition for in no other
Qrcat country of Europe has the popular Consiitu-
ton obtained as with us, true sovereignty ana
mower of rule. When a n,an lays himself ont To be
Member of Parliament he plays the highest game,
mud for the highest stakes which the country
asforSls- These are manly words. The popular Con
stitution is as sovereign in America as IN England
A member of the American Congress IL
os near the heart of the worlds history
rs a Member of the British ParNameht'
The path of the American Congress through history
hos been as steadily and signaily honorahie ana
beucfcent rs that Of the English Parliament; put
there IS not a willing IN a newspaper Once iToi"
Maine 10 California who does not fancy himsei 70
lie revealing his own wisdom and worth ana snow
ing his title of entrance to good society III ntterhs
conteuptuons words Of Congress- In England
aial ali
candidate and goes to work openly to secure send
We besmear ourselves with mock-modesty. We are
shocked at the spectacle of man openly declaring
himself a candidate for Congress or Office. The
Rev Edward Payson Hammond bids the Newbury-
nor, children 60 home and tel their fathers and
mothers how much they love dear Mr.. Hammond
and The Copqreqaonals tells its readers what good
paper il is and they must pnll hard and steady on
the same string and commend The Co"ge9"-
tiosaIisf to their friends rs they have oppor-
tunity: but Immediately tnms over 10 IT'S po-
litical column and calls aloud that TINS
country wants the Office to seek the man and
not the man the ofice." Yet water does not rnn M
hil in this country more than IN any other. II Is
rs true i'm politics as IN religion and education ana
trade that II g he that asketh who receiyeth and
he that secleth fndeth, and TO him that knockoth
If shall be opened. TIE result is not to prevent
mon from seeking Office, hut TO tempt them 70 seek
II in n roundabout way: and we have the spectacle
Of the most prominent Reform candidate for the
most important position IN the c0untry privaieiY
stooping to more and more Objectionable. devices
than have ever before been prlciIsed. while growlnr
red in the face with proclaimnlg through the laud
his bnshing modcsty, aud the imposSibility OF his
consenting to take any step for bis own advance
ment. English Civil Service Reform says frankly
through It's exponent in The c,fmjnistcT Reriec:
dr, scTr ~ The nation souid be- IN ri TIE DISPOSAL
OF the Crown Cabinet u indebted for IFS existence 10
its Psrliament, ana - must have AZ rs
command the ways a. Il means Of reIntung lts surpo
ers The SUPERIOR a9on, ,,arn's Ira ~ Lin niNH who
may wanting in tho CAPACITY OF - anib;Iion hies
alone can force 90 tbe great mnlserial posts ava
the supreme control of administration
Mr. Carl Schurz saws: Hayes has shown great
courage in speaking out before his election against
the system Of booty, thus cutting OFF to his friends
all hope OF reward"
The English R.formers are talking sense and Mr..
Carl Schurz is talking nonsense The English Re
formers are talking with some knowledge OF human
nature and Mr. Carl Schuiz is not. Indeed, | think
give Nr. Schurz too much credit. man who has
shown 50 very lively sense Of the reward due to
his own merit can hardly claim the indemnity of
the mere thecrist in insisting that all men shah do
their duty without any hope of reward The result
is not that President HaYoss friends receive 80 re-
ward hnt that Thousand devices and excuses and
apologies and exceptions have to De made which
cast a cload " suspicion and Iidcule over the Wh e
matter. let face the fact that men are inevitably
and honora5ly-at least not dshonorabiy selfish,
;,,d enlis; their sehshness in the cause Of good
government.
Another Tact that should be borne in mind is that
The people sovereign, that their will expressed
in constitutional ways is the law and not what they
ought to will; that even where their will IS not
and execute it than to defy it. Regarding tenure
of Office, for instance, there may De principle
bestcr than another but it is vet matter Of expert
1nont. For myself, have opinion Ii would
seem well that a man should bold office hong as
be performs his duties well But when the pcople
dispense Office with their own hand tiie number
who hold ia during life or good behavior IL very
small Ny neighh0r has been county treasurer for
twenty wears. and bis name is good as the Bank
of Engands. / shOuld be glad If be were elected for
life but We farmers hold his election over his head
every three years, Just rs f he were villain. But
whatever may be abstTactly true OF Tenure OF Office
and however logical may be the principle Of ar-
pointInent except for fitness, and however falla-
cons as Prof. Fiske ayers, may be the idea that
thOss who have served in the Nations armies have
amy special claim to position in the Natioos civil
vice. il must still be remembered that the logic of
q great people not always 10 be relied On
is not half - surely 10 be relied on as its generous
but Illogical impulses. Prof Fiske eoDtTadicts HIM
sell. happily, before he has gone two 81 ps. aud tie
clares that a. between a citizen and eX-soder of
equal merits the ex-soldier shall have the place.
This of course admits what he has just pronounced
d fallacy, that the soldiers have a special clam,
and Only makes all possible difference between him
and the sOphists one Of degree. Certain If thar
the people think the soldiers have a special claim,
and that faacy should be respected until the people
are reasoned out Of it, Far distant be that day,
whatever becomes OF our logic.
/ am happy to believe that Secretary Seburz
utterly mistoOk the temper of the Aineri-
can people when he allowed any Civil
Service Reform whatever TO remove Miss Meade
from Office for any cause whatever. Look at it.
Miss Meade is the sister of Gen. Meade. Have we
forgotten who Gen Meade wasi It will, perhaps,