Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-12-18
overbalancc this army OF otiiceholder
and their followers and Efforts.

and their followers and Efforts.
BY thus uniting all the patronag,
under one control, we divide the coun
try into two great parties, whose con
test for that control threatens to de-
stroy the government. When patron
ago IL localized, the strife for il afircls
only the localities. Men in HARTFORD
or Columbus or Atlanta might contend
over a postmasteship or co'lectorship
but such struggles, no matter at how
many points, nor how bitter, coulo
never disturb the nation, nor do NOR,
than affect such localities. But cen
tralize all the appointments under on,
control and then the people at one,
divide themselves every four years H.
a strife for that control, as dangcrout
as il is demoralizing.
Worthy men tell us that what IL
needed 10 cure these evils is u better
administration of the Executive pat.
ronage. To secure this, they would
have competitive examination Of appli-
cants, and officials selected for fitness
and not for political services. But has
competitive examination, so far as tri.
cd, diminished the existing evils Has
any President really established non
partisan civil service2 Nay, has any
attempt at this been even partially sue
cessful ? No; the cure Of this great
evil lies beyond any administration Of
the civil service. II will be found, and
1t will he found only, in limiting the
power of the Executive over appoint
ments.
Having centralized oil the offices in
one prize, and divided the people into
two great parties to struggle for that
prize, 1t is idle to expect that the party
which wins the prize will give it up to.
or will divide it with, its opponent No
Executive who has been chosen to dis
tribute the offices among his followers
will be tolerated, who does net so dis.
tribute them.
Belligerants may agree before the
battle that certain things shall not be
spoils of war, and then the victor will
not so treat them. But no one need
expect the victor TO abandon to the
vanquished the very thing contended
for. All our real reforms have come.
not from having one party give up to
the other what It has by great effort
just wrested from its opponent, but by
both parties agreeing in advance OF
strife that, IN future differences, neither
party shall exercise the Objectionable
power 1t is only limitation upon the
iuture exercise Of power that is practi'
cable.
Now, why might not the appoint
ment of many of these officials be 10
calized7 2 And why should not the
tenure Of subordinate officials, the mer,
clerks and tidewaiters, be made, al
least for fixed time, dependent upor
good behavior only2
There are now over forty Thousand
postmasters. The salaries OF most o
them are very small and such places
are sought by tradsmen and sbopkeep
ers mainly because of the custom ob
tanned from the persons who come e
the post Office for their mails. o
course, the people Of any such locality
can best determine what is the mos
convenient place for postofiice, an'
what citizen would, on the whole, bes
serve them rs postmaster, and the,
might be safely left TO make the selce
tionr
Neither in the army, nor in the ma
, Wy, has the President any absolut
power of removal he can suspend Of
ficers from duty, but he cannot remov
them from the service without tria
Surely, the cxigcncies of the civil ser
vice ara not greater than those of th'
military or naval services.
For myself, think the postmaster
at least in the rural districts, nigh
well be chosen by the popular vote
Bnt, If not chosen by the people c
!. their respective districts, they nigh
I be safely appointed by the State, o
county, or township, or municipal ar
thorities, and this portion of the excel
tive patronage be thus happily ended
Q So with the vast numbers Of clerki
Q and copyists, and counters, and othe
(. subordinates, Why should not poo
j woman who writes, ora man who mea'
: ures, be left TO hold their Office, say
; for four years at least, if they bebav
! themselves meantime and do their wor
: well2 Why need they wake up ever
!, morning in anxiety for the future, an
D live in perpetual fear that their part
services may not be efficient enough
J enable them to keep their place Ca
= we expect decent civil service Will
i the tenure of office is made TO depen
J. upon party fealty, and not upon goo
J. When, therefore, we shall have rel,
q gated tho appointment OF Federal o
ficers so tar Us practicable TO localltle
and shall have made tenure Of otht
+ subordinate officials permanent, W
4 NAV expect real reform in this regard
and not before.
!. THE CREATION AND POWER OF coRpoRl
TIoHs TO BE LIMITED.
u SO, too, is il not time 10 put SON
0 check on the growth and aggregate
, OF corporations In these days
!, great wealth for some, and Of gre'
u distress for Others, is it wise TO encou
D. age the artificial preparation OF acc
! ! mulated capital, and TO build up ra
q road barohs greater than the State, al
. to leave them at liberty to 60 on !
q creasing and consolidating without
straint?
=. THESE CHANGES CONSISTENT WITH I'll
NATURE OF OUR GOVERNMENT.
in But do you say the changes he
n. suggested would be radical and exec
70 sive2 reply, not at oil they wou
10 simply apply the fundamental prin
n. pies Of government TO present circul
,e stances and existing conditions. II
10 true the Fathers did not so apply thu
1t principles, but that was because the
ID was IN their time no necessity for su
ly restraints. But, II tho wise and gre
" men who formed our governments
in States and Federal-were now to irar
,h Il government, can you believe tb
II, would frame one that left TO Congr'
nd such a range of discretionary and
no restricted power, and such inducemeI
IN. for evil and corrupt legislation as ext
of or that lett the Executive invest
IN with patronage vaster, more abb
ne lutte, more dangerous, and more c.
ut .rupting, than that of any Europe
he monarch or that they would hs
ne permitted the growth and console
d ton of the power OF the great cor
ay rations-tbc Daimios Of our day ?
rol cannot think 40 on tho contrary, a
me seems to me, the very principles ~