The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-23
Our Rotten Public Service.

Tho interior rottenness and corruption OF
the public service will never be fully known
without change Of Administration and OF
parties, and no attempts at reform can
succeed until the Augcan stable is thor
oughly purified. Public men may come into
Office with good purposes, and with plans
intended to correct known abuses. but at
the very best they are dependent upon sub
ordinatos for information and for facts, who
have been trained under n venal and loose
system until, with rare exceptions, they
have been impregnated with its vices and
are bcnclciarics of its plumber.
The heads OF bureaus and the clerks in the
Navy Department swore precisely as SEcoR
robson desired in the different investga-
tions to which he has been subjected, be-
cause they were parts OF tho machine, and
in greater or less degree, in some form or
other, complicated with his villainous job
berry. Many OF them VIGOROUSLY prohted
by the contracts and open purchases and
other schemes in which he engaged, and
they had a direct personal interest in saw
ing him from the penalties OF the law
1t was wholly impossible for the Whiskey
Ring and the allied Rings to have attained
the power, the success, and the immunity
they did for long years, without collision In
the departments, as the trials OF BABcocK,
MCDONALD, AVERY, and others clearly es-
tablished The exposures which followed,
and the testimony before investigating COM
mittees, had the effect OF suppressing for q
time the audacity with which these Rings
and other combinations acted. But the
snake was only scotched not killed.
The roots OF the system, which were
planted in the civil war, when the greatest
OF public necessities occupied our con-
slant thoughts and withdrew scrutiny, and
grew into rank luxuriance subsequently,
but flourished most under Grantism, are
still vigorous and capable Of producing
abundant crops Of rascality in all its varied
forms. Admonlshed by public opinion and
by the presence of Democratic House OF
Representatives, the operators have been
less bold than was their wont when they
had sure protection from GRANT, and, until
the last two years of his second term,
nothing TO fear from Congress.
But the departments are still thronged
with the old set, who never fail TO ply their
vocation when the chances Of detection are
small, and who are constantly on the look
out for opportunities TO increase their store
OF ill-gotten gains. Accident often leads to
the discovery OF practices supposed to
have been entirely abandoned, and by some
not 10 exist at ALL The Chief Clerk Of the
Indian Office was suspended from duty for
thirty days recently, in the enigmatical
language OF the Associated Press, owing to
a difference Of opinion regarding the trans
action Of certain business. Rumors were
in circulation that other officials belonging
to this bureau were in trouble; but this is
positively denied by the higher officials Of
tho department"
Difference Of opinion regarding the trans
action OF certain business" Is a delicate
and diplomatic way OF putting q case
which has been partially investigated al
ready, and will soon be probed still further.
II there be a sound spot in the Indian Blu
reau, II has yet TO be discovered. The
thieving agents and traders always had
warning and protection from inside and all
changes in the Commissioner have done
nothing, because the subordlnates skilled
in knavery have not been touched. Nothing
short Of Il political revolution, which will
sweep away every vestige of this Fraudu-
lent Administration, can restore honest gov
eminent, and insure economy.