, 1877-07-09
CIVIL-sERVICE REFORM.
Letter hnm 0cn. John a. Dj1-..Ths prcal-
dent Approvcl---Dt1's Efort Seventeen
Yenrs AGO.

dent Approvel---Dtx's Effort Seventeen,
Yenrs Ago.
Washington cosrtspoadencs ytr lark 7sp<s.
Tie following letter, written by ex-Guv. Jnhn
A. Dix to President Hayes on thu subject VI
civllscrvIcc reform, Is OF special Interest at tls
time:
New TonK, May ., 1s7.-H1 Exoes,xaey
AxthsrJirI II Hayes, I'rxtts,1 " Ae initial
Stdfcs--DRAN aln: Feeling, as l 10, u dcpp iu-
screSt ln tllc success uf Your Administration, ~
anslictously commenced, l ts9.t you Will not
half III hour N the pr'1sal and col,ttJeratitn Of
this ppper III rcgard to TIC reform If tp,itical
abuscf, "A subject on which a,n thoroughly aud
earnestly In WSurd With you. Seventeen years
n9o tleu0l, u you will perceive, willie Postmaster
Of this cty, an appointment accepted ut tho
snlcitatiol, Vi President buchanan, for tho ux-
prusa purpose vi reforming abuses whicll had
fesnssti i, d.s.leatiOn Of sl5oooo, took tha
'F9 F;ra@lhas f no useless eu,ptoye would be 70,
tuine,l.
lstrutd-That members OF Cuuarcss would
have no more influence with TIC In nunpaintmunts
to oco than any other citlzeli u equally rcepect
IAlrd-Thas would not allow tho csnployc,
IN my Office to bc assessed for political purJkcs
nor would allow any COMMITTEES 10 auscss l,,s
o. public officer for such pusposea.
III aceOrslnnce With MY determination In These
respocts, N.Y. frat at WAS to dismis sachctn u
Talnmany Hall, WHO had q sinoSl,rc position,
Az was member u that .sociDty myscIf. my
action otrastoncd no little snrprisc. My soconl
ator OF tho United 6tatcs, who Wss rendering u
merely nominal service. Soun Rtterwurti re-
ceIyed !etter from tho Senator asking me to
scstore LIS relative 70 the paare frosn which !
hau removed hin, and his request was eoncurrcl
In by five menbefs Ut tho House of Rcp1csrnta-
ttycst ono oE whom aftcrwarl Was President Of
tho United StateA
ucn. ni1 isoro inecrts scverni Icttes written
nv hO At1f n
tho SaIhc,n Of Ta1n1nny and Representatives III
Congress, whose pFotcges in the POSSIBILITIES he
bud removed, refusing, thelr sequcsts to rein
state them. lie RlitiR;
abuses hasl no elect beyond iltu confines Of uly
oltfcu. Tie war suiGfycned, anu unrsttona ut
Kfcater nlagnlsuua absorbed the public attcn-
tlon. Tho restoration uf peaea should have
jtct; but tho cry Of reform WIS only used "
give pofnt 70 purity resolutions, which ueycr Aur-
vtved the ca1avass they were inteli4cl to lntlu-
encs, and which were not designed by the poll
tE.inns who framed th1ln " hayc lonEef exist.
ence. now rclo&c III tho h0ps long lcferFptl,
which expressed fn my latter OF August i,
loG0, that the time lima como when men havs
been called TO power "who have thu dtslntcrcst-
odncss, tbs Independence, and thn courage to do
what they think right"
The administrative reform W. require will
not be complete until Iulrral oilcets nrc for
ba!dcn TO take part III tho management OF
party canyasacs. Their Interference II, pIce-
t!ons has always bccn source vi local Jealousy,
md has Asi the elect Of keeping uany VI oilr
beat cdttzens cut Of organizations lu which they
general Eulc, The time Ut public officers will bc
FULLY occupied II they devoto themBelvts aa-
stduoualy to the dlachargs of their dutiGa.
They not only vtofAto d principle by ,eculnIlg,,
ipiariously IT, Adm.aItfa,ion whisE W 'aasy they
represent by their ill+itrectel efforts ard their
partisan zeal. The virtual control OF noInina-
ttons 10 Federal offices by members Of thu
Seuatc, which las, t,ink, beun most unwtse-
" Ac9uiescea tn during the last few ycars, IL
ona .! the Most uoM0ralizlug an1 dangerous of
the abuscs into which Lie AlH.iuI4tfat!oa has
fallen. II u nantfcst enrroachu,eut Oh tl,u
constitutional preEuxAtiv9 vi tho Executive.
4 de4radea Senators from tho exercise OF ttcir
hEh tunctioiH Is LEGISLATORS for the interest and
WeltaEa Of khe whole Cu1utry Into manipu!a-
toss 41 ot % Gihesxi patfonase md necessarily In
The shuss astains IT, most se1ious form whcn
tue Senator e1rfts lila influence LII this respect,
~ le does Ia many esases, to pfucuru aipuknt-
.nents Tor biz personal friends. to reward them
ior pAat aud stimulate theui Tor future eilorts
tot tie promosion Of his uXn scnemcs Of um-
b,slon. Tho 9cnate Ut the United States should
rise above this low leycl OF political partisan.
ssShip' 1llke i1ioomEatible with the dignity and
somposision Ut The body u In danger u being
!nluftously Affected by this abuse Of it, func-
taons. Iherr art instances III which tAe control
o. Legislatures has been attempted for thu pur-
poae q eloctlns to the HeuAto men VINO could
~ fetlea Oh " give \ particular direction 10
iotai patronage.
is WA my opiulon twenty years ago, md It Is
ny oplnton sttli, that uuleas the administration
=! our p9litacsl systetn can bu freed irou sheao
deino5sttxhx i Practices. tending a. thoy lucvt-
aoly no 90 4rvv moEs bold and reckless, thu
ueopie will gradually lose their confidence in II,
and te ted u conskief whether there Is any
Icnedy tos them, except IL so1np change III tLa
iut1n ot government which Will impair Ii. rrpre-
reflection on tlls sublscs have only served to