Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-09-27
Morals and Politics.

| " "s N"H anoIu y neglect lts
psrusal. Mr.. Curtis spoke substantially as
follows:
The times are fruitful in texts, when
parties are dissolved and organized on the
question of honesty, whether the Nation
shall keep its promise to its creditors. A
source of immoral politics is the system
of civil service, an evil which explains
much of the moral deterioration of the polti-
ical parties. The system of civil service is
not new. B1lingt roke described it 200 years
ago He said it was getting good employ
ment for the leaders and helping those who
support them. Samuel Swartwout, nearly
50 years ago, repeated the sentiments of
Bolingbroke, when writing from Washing
ton at the inauguration of jackson. The
degrading scramble for plunder so graphi-
cally described By SwartwOut, has been des-
carded in Eogland, and now is generally
known as the American system. Yet, con-
temptible as it is, it i thoroughly organiz-
ed. The structure Is huge hierarchy,
which holds Us all in its hands, contempti-
bic and demoralizing as it is Not an officer
OF the army or the navy but Is proud of the
uniform be wears and the flag he serves.
But the Office holder in civil life, is a term
Of reproach from the humiliating tenure un-
der which he holds his place. The fear of
removal renders it necessary to p-opitiate his
superiors, and tends to make Office holders
personal parasites, and consumes their self
respect. Men with the same title to place
in civil service, which Sherman, Farragut
and other brave men hold in the army and
IN the navy, have come to the speaker, and
spoken Of the degrading terms by which they
held their positions, deprecating the degrad-
ing orders of their superiors: vet they had
to obey to save bread for their families.
The question to meet il, "Shall civil
service be made to destroy all self-re-
spect?" From the result on the offce-hold-
ers, turn to the effect on the general politics.
1t creates selfish political class, and the
whole management of politics slides into
their hands. Party spirit from the first has
been terror to the republic The fever
seizes young men and even deuoralizes the
schools. Men form mercenary rings in every
party, and drive good men out of politics.
A man argues that things become so, because
so many respectable men keep out Of politics.
The price set on success is such as honorable
men are unwilling to pay. A system which
commits politics to ring for personal and
not public ends, poisons the source Of good.
1t inevitably makes the elections a mad,
perilous struggle for place. Crowds over
run every place for pluuder. Webster, Clay,
and other statesmen OF former times, de-
nounced the system inaugurated so openly
under Jackson, as q pernicious one Some
think the system, if not changed, will result
in despotism. 1t tends to make ofice-hold-
ers sycophants and bullies, and promotes
waste and loss. When places of minor con-
sequence are regarded as rewards for politi-
cal work, there will be a continued struggle
to create plices. Butler says there is such
a crowd hanging around the executive that
it is impossible to initiate new system and
reduce the officers. From the last wear Of
Adams's Administration to the close of jack
SON 8, period Of eight years, the oficehold-
ars were nearly doubled in number, while
The population Of the country only increased
"a per cent The bureau of engraving and
printing in Washington. before the
asst superintendent was appointed, had
.wo or three times as many employees as
ne considered necessary. The vicious
'ystem of appropriations and appoint
nents made it so. The New York
custom house, according to the recent report,
rad $50 too many officers. This system caus-
ID shiftlessness in the administration, and
'arelessness regarding the duties collected
4 is no reply to say that the revenues were
collected cheaply. That is not true, and
wen if it were, they would be collected more
heaply under better system. The cost is
hrte times as great as in France, four times
IS great as in the German empire, and five
ines that in Grea. Britain Our loss is
..h he, tsL.
ierman empire. A proposition to reform so
degrading and costly system as ours is
,reeted with Il storm of abuse and riiicule
toweyer, a nation which in half genera
ion has paid Uff one-thiri Of our heavy war
ebt might be supposed to make better
ystem Of civil service. The advocates ofa
etter system are denounced a. grumhlers
rho want places for themselves, but meu
gho are in pursuit of l. system OF public re-
1rm and fear such denuuciatiOns are not GI
D be Americans. Nothing is more un-
lmerican than the present practice it isa
ind OF despotic oligarchy in the hands of a
w political leaders. A reform which de-
.roys the abuse is the peoples reform it
,nnot come dow: from the executive. but
must 20 up from the people. Public Of
res are pubic trusts. not private pcrquis-
Is. They belong to the public. not to the
or one man. Calhoun said
Public Offices are public trusts - ANY
her plan strikes blow at public morality
10 demand that public business shall be
,ne on business principles only. 0ne serious
,jection 10 this system is presented, and
lat Comes from all directions The govern
ent can only be carried on by party, and
~ cannot keep up party without re
nrd.Dg men who bring oct votes. The
lallcr places must he given to workers
ily the higher places arc required to carry
It the party policy. SUme places are the
gitimate objects of political ambition, but
Il all the cerkshiFs and subordinate ones.
,gislation fixes the policy Of the country
ID the executive carries 1t out. So much
the legitimate scope Of party action. Ii
legitimate ambition ia a tree country
lead the party as Adams and Otls did
fore the revolution, or "a COb1en and
, associates did III England during the
m law agitation, but 1t Is an insult to
e commun sense Of tine country t. say
1t 1t is as nece-sarT tn Iuake black
18th an appraiser OF muslins in the Gus
II house as to put leading mind in the
bnet.
L MS system Ol clNIl service has not a.
Iys been prscticed by countre, governed
parties. Gladstone in his recent article
IS this thing puzzles the people in the
country The change oI an admins
'tios in England only amounts to few
re Of persons. The system now in vogue
re was not 10 practice in the early days
the republic. When jefferson was elect
there was II great change in the general
Icy Of the government Party spirit ir
10 was much more bitter than in lS7G.
Of leading men was much
Onger than We see it, and the party
ich Jefferson led had been ten years 10
ming Monroe, Giilatin and Il few lead
took office under Jefferson, but the
'ordinates were not changed. Jeifcrson's
ter on civil service reform antr-dated
yes's long time. All these things
W how modern Is the inqui-ition for
lis. Our fathers may not have been
ats, but they knew how to be heroes
ding that the right il always polite |
zeal II you it the moral puriication of
Itical life is not a mora! and religious
Y.
POLITICAL NOTES.
litter five days session and "a ballots,