The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1879-11-04
THE REFORM ADMINISTRATION.

THE REFORM ADMINISTRATION.
Were it not for Hasper's Weekly, and posi-
bly, one or two other papers, the majority Of the
people in the country would by this time have
forgotten that the present was the reform adj
ministration. Whether or not George w.
Curtis is a secret enemy of President Hayes
is impossible to say. If an enemy he is GER
tainly taking the best way to injure the
President by continually harping on the sub
iect of Civil Service Reform. Otherwise the
country would, to a considerable extent, have
overlooked the reform part and have buried
it among the ruins of other political promises
What are the principles involved in the sub
ject of Civil Service Reform? Laying aside
all motives of friendship in the appointment
of officers, allowing no favoritism, no form of
bribery to govern the choice, selecting men
who are honest, capable and possessing in
trinsic merit, and especially qualified to fill
the offices for which they are appointed. Hon
esty, capability and merit are just the quail
ties most essential. Well do we remember
hearing our President express himself on this
subject. Most clearly after the Cincinnati con-
vention did he see the wants of the Civil Ser
vice. And after his Inauguration there was
a feeling in the hearts of many a citizen of
both parties if he was not their choice at the
nominating convention or at the ballot box,
nevertheless he was seemingly honest, and in
the first term of the second century of our
Republic they had another Washington at the
helm. "Honest R. E. Hayes" he was called.
and when he enunciated at the start the prin-
ciples that all parties should have an equal
chance, that no duration of office should lie
longer than eight years, (Which is akin to the
old theory of rotation in oftice), that no officer
should take an active part in politics, that no
official should be compelled to pay an assess
ment for political purposes, then even his poll
tical antagonists were persuaded he was hon
est and sincere, and that now the Augean
stables of politics would be thoroughly
cleansed.
Slowly were the people undeceived, not
willing to believe themselves mistaken. That
he should give Comfy, whose paper first pro-
posed the Presidents nomination, a fat office;
that a similar Office should be given to Noyes,
who so eloquently advocated the nomination
at Cincinnati that Sherman should be re-
warded for his efforts by a seat III the Cabi-
net ; that Schurz, whose dilatory and unprac-
teal measures have cost SO much blood and
money in the present Indian war, should be
given another seat for his campaign services;
all of these measures, indeed, did not destroy
faith in his honesty of purpose. But when
it was found that merit consisted in being
born in Ohio, that this man was given a place
for which he had no qualification because his
father, or uncle, or cousin, or aunt was a
friend or partner of the President, and that
one, because he had played tag with young
Rutherford in youth that to have known the
President in childhood, to have deserted the
Democratic party for an office. or TO haye
voted for a Cabinet member, covered up all
want of fitness, of capability, of breadth of
view, of intelligence, of honesty, then faith
in reform began to grow faint. The term is
rapidly drawing to a close. Do we see men
removed from office who are unfit? Do we
see positions given to Inen on account of
merit alone? DO we see one of those PROM
ises to purify the filth of politics kept? On
the contrary it is a notorious fact that Sher-
man slumped the State of Ohio during the
recent election and freely used his money to
turn the tide in his own favor. Equally no.
torious is it that hard working employees
in the Departments have been forced to pay
their assessment, or falling in it have been re-
moved from their ~nosition without a word.
The editor of Ha,pers Weekly can hardly
expect to make the intelligent men of this
country believe that reform has been attempt
ed, and not merely the pretence of it.
There is a growing feeling, indeed, among
the men of Hayes WI party that it would
be much better to have the whole host of off
Gals removed, however efficient some of them
may be, than TO undergo another such all ad.
ministratiOn which has been more corrupt
than former ones because 1t bears the guise oil
Honesty.