The Portland daily press., 1877-07-17
NEW YORK. InIv 14th 1877.


sure and nolack of means, are killing time at the
watering places. Those who, whether from in
clination or necessity remain at their posts, find
This circle of acquaintance so greatly reduced
py the migration of their friends to pastoral
snaaes that they re obliged to lead very quiet
lives whether they like it or not The dulness
is most perceptible on a Saturday after 3
O'Clock. Then the places of business are
closed, and beyond the crowd of men hurrying
TO the railway stations and the steamboat
piers-each tugging along an armful of parcels
and working himself into a tremendous per-
spiration in his hurry to get rid of his burdens
Inc streets are comparatively empty. There
Is the same Stiffness on Sunday in the brown
stone sections, but Mackerelville, Little Dub
lin and the whole German quarter turn out in
great strength to visit the suburban retreats
that line the borders of the metropolis. The
fashionable churches are closed. Nobody
would attend them if they were open. The
ministers would have to preach to the sexton
ana the quartette in the choir if they held SER
vice at this time of year. They are glad to get
vacation, and their congregations are equally
glad they should. The street railways do a
~-S~-~SSi
vast fleets of sloops or schooners on which
they make two hundred per cent profit The
times are hard, to be sure, but not SO deplorably
Dad but Bans can get his full of lager and Pat
OF whisky. These primary schools whence our
municipal democracy derive their recruits and
renew their strength proudly defy the ravaees
OF panic and the exhaustion that come of want
or WORK, and thrive when the useful arts are at
their lowest point Of depression. The retail
liquor dealer belongs to a privileged order.
Prosperity in his pursuit brings him not merely
worldly gain bu: political preferment. 1t is the
stepping stone to Aldermanc honors and the
key to influential position in the dominant
party. No other calling has furnished so many
representatives to the Common Council; nor is
there any that opens so inviting field for the
cultivation of ambition for leadership in local
affairs.
think that at any other period of the year
the removal of Capt Bracket from the office
OF special agent of the Treasury Department
would have occasioned some stir. Not that
it Is a matter of any great moment in itself.
The post is by no means desirable one. The
pay is wretchedly out of proportion to the
'~->' ~A"s AZ eAo SocC VI COURSE MUD most OF
the federal offices; indeed cannot recall an
exception; but the special agent has very disa.
greeable duties to perform, and is engaged upon
sortof detective service which demands of
him untiting energy and sleepless vigilance.
Now Capt Brackett happened to be both by
nature and training exactly the kind of person
70 NIL this thankless office acceptably and ably.
DE graduated from the police force, was for
some time Fire Marshal, has been special
agent for number of years, understands the
requirements OF the place perfectly and is un-
exoeptionable in character, habits and associ-
ATOMS His displacement is violative of every
principle of the Civil Service Rules and a
wrong to the mer camille community in whose
midst two thirds of the Custom revenue is col.
lected. If such thing had happened under
the preceding administration there would have
been chorus of indignation shrieked from
Thousand editorial throats. 1t would have met
WIN neither defence nor apology in any quar-
ter. Ihls was position of all others in which
experience was essential to effectiveness. No
merchant or business man would think for a
moment Of turning out an smploye who had
given evidence of his fitness by results accom-
piished. 1t is only politicians who do such
things and even they must have been tough
ened by long practice of the doctrine that ito
the victors belong the spoils'' before they could
consent to so gross subordination of the pub
Tic welfare to the bestowal of partisan rewards.
But what makes this performance more
offensive is that it .conficts so glaringly with
those professions which the new administra-
ton is making so profusely through those many
voiced organs the newspapers. We have so much
gush about the superior purity, disinterested-
ness and patriotism of the powers that be- that
IL we took 1t all for gospel we should begin to
70 draw comparisons between the recent and
the present dynasty unfavorable to the former:
Dut the difference seems to be that ander the
former regime they did things pretty we'll with
out making q particle of brag about it, under
the latter they make tremendous brag about
everything they are going to do, and never do
anything that is worth Boosting Of 1t was
one OF the faults of Gen. Grants administra-
ton, undoubtedly-in fact the only fault that
Is worth memory or a thought that the
regulations he recommended for the govern
ment OF the civil services were not more stren-
uously enforced. The blame of it does not at
tach to him in the smallest degree. He urged
the matter uponsthe consideration of Congress.
and the members neglected to take any meas
ure to establish the system. He acted in good
1aitn In the premises, and if the legislative
prsncn OF the government had been equal In
point OF patriotism or statssmahship to the
executive, the plan wonld have been success
FULLY inaugurated long ago. There were some
dlmculties and complications about it. 1t is a
thrice told tale, how George William Curtis,
whose sincerity and earnestness nobody who
knows him will call in question, proposed to
set at naught his own code in the very first in
stance OF federal appointment after his civil
service rules were framed. He requested the
PRESIDENT to appoint man to the surveyorship
OF New York, without subjecting him to the
competitive examination, which he had thereto
lore carefully prescribed as one of the requi-
sites for ca ndidacy. The President, unvill-
ing to disoblige him, actually made the ap-
pointment he requested, SO that in fact the
earliest and most conspicuous instance in which
Gen. Grant deviated from the letter of the
civil service rules, was that in which he acted
upon the advice and at the solicitation of the
foremost champion of that, method of purify.
ing the public service.
But now "old things .have passed away and
all things have become new" At any rate, it
is supposed SO. Assurances that nobody is to
be removed except for cause, that political con-
sideratons are no longer to be taken into &C
count in deciding between applicants, and tha-
she tenure of minor offices, at least is to be
during good behavior, inspires the American
heart with new hope of the greatness and glory
OF the Republic. The administration organs
are rs prodigal of sine sentiments" as ever Jo-
seph Surface was. 1t is to be hoped they will
not turn out as hollow and provoke censure
as emphatic and profane as that wrung from
the Disguised Sir Peter Teazle.
Probably there is not federal officer in New
York whose removal would elicit so much sur
prise and call forth SO strong remonstrance
as that of Capt. Bracket. There seems to be
no reason for it whatever, not even pretext-
save only that it was necessary to provide a
place for somebody else. If that is to be the
practice. the sooner the reform sign is hauled
down and the shutters of that shop put up the
less danger the re will be that the administra-
ton will be imperiled between the Scylla of
-.