Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-08-09
Public Opinion and Reform,

A REFORM in the system of the civil
service implies reform of public opin-
ion. Unhappily the abuses are now
generally regarded as the essential ele-
ments of the service, and there is a
most ingenious sophistication 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 of its friends
more patience and tolerance of incon-
sistencies and misunderstanding than
a real reform. Yet, as we said, week
or two ago, it does not follow that no
progress whatever is made because
there are so many failures and disap-
pointments; neither can it be assumed
that there is no sincere desire of reform
in an Administration which does some
things absolutely incompatible with it.
Few men are consistently good, but
virtue is not therefore mere cant. An
Administration is complex person,
and all the circumstances must be care
fully scanned and weighed before its
conduct is condemned as heartless or
treacherous. The enemies of reform
and the loudest advocates of the pres
ent abuses and evils as system prac-
tically adapted to human nature are the
most stringent in their condemnation
of the lapses of the friends of reform.
They demand an absolutely uncompro-
missing virtue, and when bad appoint
ment is made, or the principle is in any
instance plainly abandoned, they ask
whether it is not about time to renounce
also the transparent 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 Ad-
ministration, nor can the action of an
Administration which has any convic-
tions whatever upon the subject be dis
posed of by sneer. The present Ad-
ministration. with all shortcomings
granted, and with all the evident de-
sertions of its own principles, has never
theless done good direct service by
striking at some tlagrant abuses, and
great indirect service by arousing pub
whole subject. 1t seems to us, there
| fore, that those who are in earnest, but
who are patient of human nature, and
conscious of the extreme difficulties
that must now surround any Admins
tration in dealing with this subject,
will rather encourage the Administra-
ton for what it has done than dispar-
age it for what it has not done, or for
what it has done inconsistently. This
is true, although it may be freely
granted that such conduct is not re-
form. 1t certainly is not. The Ad-
ministration has certainly not accom-
plished a thorough reform of the civil
service. But with equal certainty it
has done much that belongs to such re-
form. There is no radical reform, un-
doubtedly, so long as what is done de-
pends upon the action of single Adj
ministration, or the discretion of indi-
vidual officers. But any such officer
who conducts the business confided to
him, including the selection of his SUBJ
ordinates, solely upon business prin-
ciples, and therefore totally disregard
ing politics, does very much To pro-
mote reform, although he and his
methods may be dismissed the next
| day. He promotes reform by proving
that public Office so managed secures
the most efficient public service with
out the decentralization, jealousy, hos
tility and interference with the free po-
litical action of the voters which neces-
sarily spring from the system to which
we are accustomed. The new Collec-
tor and Naval Officer of New York
have said unequivocally that they in
tend to conduct their offices upon busi-
ness principles only. There is no good
reason to doubt their word, however
hard they may find the task of making
it good. The more strenuously they
resist the pressure to make it a politi,
cal machine, the more efficiently and
satisfactorily will they serve the pub
lie, and the more practicable will they
have made reasonable reform of the
system. .-Harper'S Weekly.