New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-24

quarrel with is the miserable. the tmbeclle insn-
certy of this reform which makes tspurely political
and purely personal and purely truck and dicker
appointments sounding out all the while its loud
voiced pretenCes that they are made on some high
sentiment" ON some noble aspiration. on some great
moral principle, now for the first time introduced
into politics As an American citizen am glad and
proud not simply to admit but to ayOw that Mr..
Beard. without any previous special qualifications
or sbecial training is an able and efficient customs
officer; but beg HGrper's Weekly to point out in
Governor Hayess letter of acceptance that passage
which " fairly foretold7 AttOrney-General DeyenSs
instance" to Collector Simmons to " take an open
part in politics :" and also that passage which
fairly foretoldD that an officer of good personal
character and who :" did his official duty vigor-
ousyD should find his Office taken from his hands be-
cause he thought differently from the President on
some political question.
And now the New-YOrk papers tell us that the Ed
itor of Harpa's Weekly has himself become an active
and very jealous candidate for the United States
Senate from New York, and demands that the pub-
lie service in New-York shall be " de-COnklmgzed.
When Offices are held by active COnkling politi-
clans change should be made"
But the self-same paper reports that the Presi-
dent expressed himself to-day warmly in favor of
Mr. Jorgensen las Representative from virginia.,
and said he hoped the Postmaster at Petersburg
would assist in eve way in his power Mr. Jor-
gensen said he presuu4 the Postmaster was afraid
to help him, bat the President said that he need
not be afraid so long he did not neglect his Off
cial duties"
think it Will be very hard to convict the Peters
burg Postmaster of neglect of his official duties, If
he does effective service in 70 JOrgenseR. But has
Harper's Heekly made any deafening call upon the
Administration to de-Jorgensenize the Federal
II "a. h. ea1
for Administration men against Democrats, but may
not be used for Republicans against Administration
men3 What clause in the Letter Of Acceptance or
the Civil Service Reform Rules fairly foretells"
that New-York officers shall be turned out for IA
voring Conklng, and Virginia officers shall be in
vited TO work for JOrgensenf
elm prosecuting the work." says Hdrpd's Weekly
that is the of the Federal Offices
1.-THE President must of course, bear tho taunt OF
fighting an opponent with the patronage. But II
is a pOintess sheer, because it comes from those
who think it right that Senator should fight his
opponents with the patronage"
Oh, my Harper! this will never do! You might
enjoy dinner of herbs with your friend, if he pro-
fessed to have conscientious scruples against ami
NAL food, but if you caught him afterward eating
stalled OK clandestinely at the cupboard you would
be little Modified by his imponting your sheer with
the suggestion that you could not object because
Won Thought it was right to eat animal food!
The reformers do not believe aud do not practise
the first principle of their own reform What they
do believe and what they do practise Is that man
shall not be turned out Of Office account of his
politics if his politics those of the Civil Service
reformers. And more trivial, more misleading
more wavering, webbing ridiculous issue was
never think introduced into American politics
than that which goes trundlng, staggering, zig
tagging across the stage under the hoop-stick OF
the Civil Service Reformer
The doctrine of the reformers is that on such
trifing matters as State rights freedom and purity
of election, finance, foreign policy, internal i'm
Observation-Disclosures of opinion is Of no account
But on the mode of appntin' clerks difference OF
opinion cannot be tolerated. A Democrat and a
Rebel without sign of recantation may be set over
every post Office in the North, but Boston Repub-
hcan cannot be set over the Boston Custom House
unless he thinks exactly the President does about
the cant of reform in CIVIL Service.
The case Is all the harder because it is so difficult
to find ont what the President does think. What
with the letter Of acceptance and Harpas Weekly
INTERPRETATION oft and Mr. SimmODss dutful taking
himself ont of politics and Mr.. Devens's summary
husting him in again. and the Presidents order
prohibiting all ofice-holders from participating in
active politics. and the explanation Of the order that
they may take part after the nOminatonsj ana no
political service can be rendered by the Govern
ment employee at any time, but there is no objection
if Federal oice-holders do their share Of the work
80 long as it does not interfere with their official
duties and Ofice-hOurs not of so much account
as that Federal offices shall not be used in the cam
paign to promote the personal interests of certain
individuals and no assessments shall be made
upon clerks, but az to contributing reasonable
share ont of their incomes, there can be no objec-
ton TO that-n fact the observation-disclosures he should
be pleased if they would do so; and clerks may
send off documents to aid in the campaign, but they
must do it as individuals and not as members of an
association, but they may be members of IN asso-
citation in a merely social way-what, say,wth the
order and the explanation of the order, and the ex
captions to the explanation of the order, and the
restrictions to the exceptions, and the applications
of the restrictions, and the notifications OF the
applications, the conscientious ciyilseryant must be
sorey tempted to part with portion Of his Civiliy
and summarize the reform unbelievers were wont
to summarize Calyinism:
you can and You can't
You shall and you shan't,
You will and you won't
You'll DO damned II you don'tW
| To which Mr. Simmons might ruefully add, you'll
L. Il sfrr,t, dol