National Republican., 1877-11-03
Democratic Civil Service Reform.

Ject snoulu engage tne careful conslutratloh
of Congress.
Democratic Civil Service Reform.
The New York World has entered upon
a missionary effort to convert the Demo
cratic party to the belief that civil service
reform, US prncticed by the latter-day saints,
is pure Democratic doctrine, and was taught
by JEFFERSON, the first apostle of that faith.
In the discourse which the World has re-
Gently preached on this important subject it
cites some authorities and makes some adj
missions which, in the light of history,
greatly wcakens its argument and leopard
izes its cause. 1t SAYS, for instance,
JEFFERSON decided that removals should
only be made for cause; and, again, it says:
This was the Democratic doctrine Of JEFF
FERSON and ii was faithfully upheld by
JACKSON" While history stamps this last
declaration as n figmcnt Of the brain, with
out the scmblance of truth, the Uord for
gets to tell its readers Of the administration
of Mr.. VAN BUREN, which succeeded
that of Gen. JACKSON, in which the
doctrine, ito the victors belong the
spoils," was excmplifed in remark
able degree. Neither Gen. JACKSON
nor Mr.. VAN BUREN sought any cause for
removal beyond the bare fact that the in
cumbent wis a Wing. That was sufficient,
and every Democratic administration down
to the end of that race which eliminated
with JAMES BUCHANAN carried out the
don rin Of NJ IN tho 1attar until a,
Federal official OF any other political stripe
than Democratic was unknown to history.
No matter what JEFFERSON may have
taught, or his Democratic successors may
have pretended to practice, none but Demo
Gratis were allowed to enjoy the spoils Of po-
stion under Democratic administrations.
The World in its missionary enterprise in
behalf of modern civil service reform, has
Just discovered hereto in the Democratic
church and'is lecturing him roundly on
his heresies. That hereto is found in the
person of Lieutenant Governor DORsIIEI-
MER, of New York. lie recently made
speech at Tammany ratification meeting,
during which he was guilty OF rank hercsy.
He said
Indeed, the salient ele lent Of the new re-
form is to prevent persons holding Federal
office from taking part in political OrPaniza-
| ton and action. Where does Mr.. HAYES get
the power to do thisH The right to political
action has never before been questioned.
Would President he authorized to dismiss an
officer of the army for attending u convention
| or acting on a cOmmittee2 | have known Off
GERS of the army to be very active and useful
in politics, and three general officers of the
army-TAYLoR, SCoTT and GRANT-have
been candidates for the Presidency. The sup
port which this illegal order of Mr.. HAYES
finds in public opinion is due to the belief,
widely spread among the people, that politics
is degrading pursuit..
The Taria endeavors to break the force
of Mr.. DoRsHEIMER' nosition by the nsn-
uation that, although elected as i.-m0crat
to the Office he now fills, he was appointed
us United States District-Attorney for the
northern district of New York by President
LINCOLN, and then by President GRANT.
This was no objection to that gentleman on
the part of the Democrats when they took
him to their bosom and elected him Lieu
tenant Governor. He is now serving Sec
ond term under their auspices, and he
is discredted for the utterance Of an honest
sentiment, which pervades large portion
of the sensible American people, relating to
the question of civil service reform Us at
present upheld and pGacticed. 1t
serves Mr.. DoRsHEIMER right for the Dem
ocrats now to question his orthodoxy be-
cause he has been Republican. We have
no sympathy with him in his present polit-
| cal position, for the reason that when he
entered that party he should not have for
gotten the homely adaGe that those who
lie down with dogs must get up with fens.' y
The civil service rules of President
HAYES, il they had only referred to the
manipulation OF caucuses and con-
ventions by ofce-holders under the
Government, at the expense OF their
official usefulness, would have COM
manded universal approval from the
Republican party. But they have practically
extended it far beyond that point. These
rules have been made TO interfere with and
abridge the political usefulness Of Federal
officials after conventions have been held and
even at the ballot box thus greatly impairng
the strength of the Republican party in
elections and it is for this reason that the
Democrats are now so much in favor of a
policy that they never have reduced to
practice while in power. II is all in their
favor, and all against the Republican inter
est and hence they heartily approve II,
| WhIe nm This subject we will refer to the