Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-08-15
PuBIlc opinion and reform.

Harpers Weekly.
A reform in the system of the civil SER
vice implies a reform of public opinion.
Unhappily the.abuses are now generally
regarded as the essential elements of the
service, and there is most Ingenious So
phistication upon the subject in many
very intelligent and honest minds. = The
traditions and the practices of political
parties are hostile to the correction of
abuses that help them, and there is no
great political change which demands Iof
its friends more patience and tolerance of
inconsistencies and misunderstanding
than real reform. Yet, as we said
week or two ago, does not follow that no
progress whatever is made because there
are so many failures and disappointments;
neither can it be beassumed that there is no
sincere desire of reform in an Admistra-
ton which does some things absolutely
incompatible with it. Few men are con-
sistently good, but virtue is not therefore
mere cant. An Administration is COM
plex person, and all the circumstances
must be carefully scanned and weighed
before its conduct is condemned as heart
less or treacherous. The enemies of reform
and the lOudest advocates of the present
abuses and evils as system practically
| adapted to human nature are the most
| stringent in their condemnation of the
lapses of the friends ofrefOrm. They de-
mand an absolutely uncompromising vir-
tue, and when bad appointments made,
or the principle is in any instance plain
| 1V ahon6nnnA a = Se
about time to renounce also the. transpar-
ent cant of reform, and whether, since
the ridiculous monster is now thoroughly
dead, it should not be summarily buried.
This, like. calling an opponent an old
woman, is not very powerful reasoning,
| but it satisfies those who do not care to
argue. The question of reform is not to
be concluded by the action of an Admin
istration, nor can the action of an Admin
istration which has any convictions what
ever upon the subject be disposed of by a
sneer. The present administration, with
all shortcomings granted, and with all the
evident desertions of its own principles,
has nevertheless done good direct. service
by striking at some fiagrant abuses, and
great indirect service by arousing public
opinion to the consideration of the whole
subject. 1t seems to us, therefore, that
those who are in earnest, but who are pa
tatient of humannature, and conscious OF
the extreme difficulties that must now
surround any Administration in dealing
with this subject, will rather encourage
the administration for what it has done
than disparage it for what it has not done,
or for what it has done inconsistently.
isis true, although it may be freely
I granted that such conduct is not reform.
/ 1t certainly is not, The Administration
has certainly not accomplished a thorough
reform of the civil service, But with
equal certainty it has done much that be-
longs to such reform. There is no radical
reform, undoubtedly, SO long as what is
done depends upon the action of single
Administration, or the discretion of indi-
viduaI' officers. But any such officer who
seonducts the business confidcd to him, in
GLIDING the selection of. his subordinates,
solely upon business principles, and there
fore totally disregarding politics, does
very much to promote reform, although
he and his methods may be dismissed the
| 1AC ny prov
ing that public Office so managed Sc
cures the most efficient public service
without the decentralization, jealousy
| hostility, and interference with the free
political action of the voters which neces.
sarily spring from the system which we
are accustomed. The new Collector anG
Naval Officer of New York have said un.
enuivOca1lv that thew intend to conduct
\ their offices upon business principles only
There is no good reason to doubt theil
word, however hard they may find the
task of making it good. The more siren.
uOusly they resist the pressure to make il
political machine, the more efficiently
and satisfactorily will they serve the pub
4 lie, and the more practicable will they
have made a reasonable reform of the
system.