The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-08-24

THOMAS KERR, Of Black, Hawk.
For CirenitC Ierk, re sIea
DAN W. GOULD OF Mohne.nI -
For States Attorney
HENRY Il. LEWIS OF Moline.
HENRY Il. n pas aSFfesf d Anaalu.ia.
REpuBL1cAr CIV n sEKvrcE RE
FORM. ~ ~
PROFESSIONS v. PRAeTTcE.1 E4-i.
In his annual message. in 1870, Presi-
dent Grant said: ro1.8E - ca hsGC-ta
Always fayoring 5praetical reform.
respectfully call ayour9 attention to one
abuse of long standings which would like
to see remedied by this Congress-. 1t is q
reform in che civil. service Of the country.
would have it go beyond the mere fixing
of the tenure of clerks and employees, who
do not require the advice and consent oil
the senate 90 make, their appointments
complete would have git govern not the
tenure, but the manner of making all
appointments. There is no duty which SO
much enbarrasses the Executive and
heads of departm ents as that of appoint
ments, nor is there any such arduous and
thankless labor supposed upon our senators
and representatives MS that of finding
places for constituents The present sys~
tenn does not secure the best men, and
often not even fit men for public places.
In 1872, President Grant issued an
executive order, in which he declared:
THE utmost fidelity and diligence
will be expected of sH officers in every
branch of the public service. Political
assessments, as they are called, have been
forbidden within the various departments;
and while the right of all persons in
acc % al ~
acknowledged, and the elective franchise
is recognized as high trust to be dis
charged by all entitled to it's exercise
whether in the employ of the government.
or in private. life. honesty and efficiency,
not political activity. will determine the
tenure of office. lra~.-r
In the same year, 1872, the Republican
national convention passed the following
resolution:
''Fitth-Any system of civil service
under which the subordinate positions Of
the government are considered rewards
for mere party ZEAL is fatally deteriorat
ing, and wetherefore favor a reform o.
the system by laws which shall abolish the
evils of patronage. and make honesty
efficiency and fidelity the essential qualif
cations for public positions. without prac-
ticelly creating q lite tenure of Office"
In accordance with this platform, Pres.
ident Grant appointed civil service com.
mission. of which George William Curtis
was chairman and Joseph Medill an emf
nent member, tegdraw up rules and regu.
lstlons for the civil service, Their report
was placed on fle.'
In 1876 the Republican National plat.
form continued the following:
Under the Constitution the President
and heads OF Departments are to make
nominations for Office: the Senate is to ad
wise and consent to appointments, and the
house OF representatives is to accuse anc
prosecute faithless officers. The bes
interests of the public service demand
that these distinctions be respected, tha
senators and representatives who may BIZ
judges and aecusers should not dictate
appointments to Office. The invariable
rule In appointments tshocld have refer.
ence to the honesty. fidelity and capacity
OF the appointees, giving to the party In
power sthose places where harmony and
vlgor OF administration require its policy
to be represented, but requiring all others
to be filled with sole reference to the eff
Cheney OF the public service, and the right
OF all citizens to share in the honor OF
rendering faithful service TO the country"
1t his letter accepting the nomination
The fifth resolution adopted BY the
convention IS of paramount interest.
More than forty years ago a system of
making appointments to office grew up,
based upon the maxim, f'To the vietors
belong the spoils." The old rule, the
true rule. that honesty. capacity and
fidelity constitute the only real qualifca-
lions for Office, and that there should be
no other claims. gave place to the idea
that party services were to be chiefly con-
sldered. All parties, in practice, have
adopted this system. 1t has been essen
tally modified since its first Introduction.
1t has not, however. been improved. At
hrst the President, either directly or
through the heads of departments, made
all the appointments. but gradually the
appointing power. in many cases. passed
into the control of members of congress.
The offices, in these cases, have become
not merely the rewards for party servi-
ces, but rewards for services to party
leaders. This Esystem destroys the indie
penoence OF the separate departments of
the government. It tends directly TO ex-
traVagance and official incapaeity.' Its a
temptatlouito dishonesty: 1t binders and
lmpslrs that careful supervision and strict
accountability by which alone faithful and
ett1cient public service can be secured: il
obstructs the prompt removal and sure
punishment of the unworthy; inevery way
it degrades the civil service and the char
aeteT OF the government, Ii is felt, am
confident by large majority of the mem-
bers otcongress to be an intolerable bur.
den and an unwarrantable 1hindrance 70
the proper discharge of their legitimate
duties. Lie ought to be abolished. The
reform should be thorough, radical, and
complete. We should return to the
principles and practice of the founders of
the government supplying by legislation,
when needed. that which was formerly
the established custom. They neither ex-
pected nor desired from the public officers
any partisan service. They meant that
tne public officers should give their whole
service to the government and the nepr,le.
Ihey meant that the officer should be
secure se ah IN hls tenure as long as his person
the performance of his duties satisfactarv
II elected l shall conduct the administra.
zion OF the government upon these prin.