Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1880-12-09
Garfield and Civil Service Reform.


Garfield and Civil Service Reform.
The following petition was presented to
Gen. Garfield on Friday: ..a ... i
Gen. James A. Garfield. President-elect of the
United States: +te
SIR: The Independent Republican Associa-
tioR OF New York congratulate you upon the
result of the recent national election, which
they deem most propitious, as it signifies the
popular approval of principles with which YOU
have long been identified, and gives reasoua-
BILE assurance that you will be sustained by
public opinion in your endeavors to carry the
same into effect. Your utterance in Congress
on the condition and needs of the civil SER
vice, and the effective support which you gave
in the Chicago Convention TO the resolution
there adopted in that behalf, and which con
stitutes part of the platform of the Republi-
can Party, impelled us to give you our cordial
support in the late campaign, and inspire us
with confidence that your Administration will
justify the promise of so noble record
The dangers to our political syetem arising
from savage contest every four years, ex-
tending over the entire continent and penetrat.
Ing all ranks of society, respecting the distri-
button of the Federal Offices, seem to US ex
tremely grave. History teaches that the thing
most to be guarded against in republic is an
excess of party rage. The spirit, always suf-
fciently active under free government, is
stimulated and augmented to an alarming de-
gree blythe spoils system, which regards all
Federal offices as the prizes of the majority,
and which would have snatched from the
whole body of the present incumbents their
means of livelihood if few thousand votes in
this State, which were cast for yourself, had
been cast for Gen. Hancock. Is it not appar-
ent that the greed and terror inspired by such
system must add largely to the heat and fury
and attendant dangers of our national cleo
ton, and increasingly as the country grows in
population and the Federal patronage becomes
mere extensive? No other civilized Govern
ment exposes its public servants to the danger
of beggary upon the hazard of an election, or
would expect good service from them under
such conditions. We are aware that this sub
ject is hedged about with difficulties and that
abuses of half century's growth are not to be
rooted up ina day. We believe, however,
that public opinion is in advance of any reform
OF the civil service hitherto attempted, and
that you may safely establish rules for en-
trance to all subordinate positions, which shall
make ascertained merit the sole test of ap-
pointment. discarding both partisan service
and party utilization from the list of quaifica-
tions. In this way new basis may be gradu-
ally gained for the civil service to rest upon,
so that hereafter no political party. in its hour
oftriumph, shall lock upon the public offices
as an enemys camp subject to indiscrirnate
pillage. If the civil service shall receive the
same statesmanlike treatment at your hands
as President that You have bestowed upon it
as member of Congress aud public teacher,
you will be entitled to the gratitude of your
countrymen and to the verdict which history
awards to those who have wisely used great
opportunities. e.. ... -
HORACE WHITE, President.
HENRY S. VAN DUZER. Secretary
GEO. WALTON GREEN, N. s. SPENCER, :
GEO. HAVEN PUTNAM, CLARENCE DEM1NG,
Executive Committee Independent Republi-
can Association of the county of New York.
Gen. Garfield, having received the paper,
entered upon discussion of the civil service,
in the course of which be said that he hoped
to,haye the cooperation of Congress in estab-
fishing legal basis for all routine appoint
pents, SO that it should not be in the power
OF anybody, even the President, to remove
any capable and faithful appointee during his
tern, OF office, whether the term be long or
short. 20 - ~
The really greatest prizes of English cleri-
cal life, from a pecuniary point of view, are
the head Inasterships of the great public
schools. Those of Elton and Harrow are worth
from 1926, 900 to $35, 600 year, and those of
Westminster and Winchester, Rugby, Charter
House, and Merchant Faylors are worth from
$12, 600 to 800, 900 a year, including the spa
cious .abodes attached to them. The heads of
college at Oxford and Cambridge do not, fol
| the most part, receive nearly so much The
master of Trinity College, Cambridge, the
boss college, has about SIS, 900 a year, and
| the Dean of Christ Church, who is also Dean
OF the Cathedral Church, over $40, 600. The
next most lucrative position in Oxford is Pres.
ident of Magdalen, which is worth about 3d.
The Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, has a
separate estate allotted to him, estimated to
be worth some 800, 600 a. year; but he proba-
bly, will find himself this year considerably
short of that sum. Most of the other hard.
| ships at the English universities very from
| 81, 900 to 81, 500 a. year. The college proper
| ty is managed by an officer called the Bursar,
who has an Office in the college, and is one Of
the Fellows. q, The revenue is, for the, most
part derived from land scattered over all
parts of England. Brasenose, which, after
Magdalen, is the richest college in Oxfsrd, has
a good deal of London property. Endow.
ments since 1850 have beeniscomparatlvely
very slender nntil Keble College founded about
seven years ago received some heavy dona-
| TONS College property is entirely distinct
from university property. A Oxford the
university property is considerable; at Cam.
bridge it is small. AA'' As37 5'f a" ~
s-yN,F = sg-. LII =. j ss f..t.},
| Amherst College has concluded that its stu
| dents are men, their ages averaging 90, and
will. therefore, no longer subject them to dis.
cipline as boys. z They will hereafter be held
responsible for their work, but mot for their
personal conducts unless it interferes with
| their duties. This has long been the rule In