The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-02-10

what be does The fact Is there is too much
,ostprino too much of an effort to keen up
appearances about this administration. IL Is
no worse perhaps, than the one that precedea
it, it certainly is no better. But 1t makes sucn
a parade Of its superiority that when there ID
any revelation OF its shortcomings they nstur-
ally provoke a comparison which is very mucn
to its disadvantage. The same things have hap
pered under the present regime that have 90
curred under former ones. There have been fol-
lowers to be rewarded, and they have received
thcir compensation, precisely as has been the
case among all the governments OF the woriu
since the dawn OF civilization. Only IL mas
never hitherto been deemed areprehensioie
practice to confer dignites in this way, conse-
auently there has been no occasion to devise
,xcuses for it, The course pursued by the
present administration is not essentially diner-
ent from that of any Of its predecessors, and IL
It were not for the radical dissimilarity there
has been between the profession and the per-
formance we should doubtless have heard very
little comment upon it and scarcely any COM
plaint, except from a class of people who make
it their business to find fault with every thing
and every body.
Unquestionably if it had been the intention
supporters of civil service reform, there would
have been an inquiry as to the merits ana capa-
blities of the ten deputies who were all equal
ly eligible to the first place in that orahch oi
the revenue service The one found to possess
the highest qualifications would have received
the commission That would have been put
ting the system into practical operation. NO
better chance will ever be offered OF testing the
efficacy of that method OF selection. Ana'
| naturally enough, the question will be asked'
| .'if the President is really desirous OF promot
| ing the reformation in favor OF which ne mas
| often expressed himself in earnest terms ooth
| in speech and with pen why doesn't ne avail
| himself of so excellent an opportunity OF nng-
| ling out the best man in the Department Tor
| the vacant ,tuation?" There is only one ans
| wer to be given Mr. Howard has the prefer
| ence in virtue Of the services he has rendered
| to his chief 1t isn't pretended that he-is the
equal in experience or the superior in other
RESPECTS of his associates in office, but he is the
one man among them who has earned Execu-
| tive consideration That settles it. But what WAS
| the sense Of teegraphing all over the country
| that the appointment was not in violation Oh
the civil service regulations, and trying 70
show it by specious argument that was ai'o-
gether too weak to carry conviction 70 Single
| logical mind? 1t would have been . greas
deal better to have said nothing about 1t. by
defending the appointment the authorities ~
| the capital have directed public thought to the
fact that a stranger from Ohio. has been clothed
with power to sit in judgment upon the I'M
ported wares of the merchants of New YORK,
| a circumstance which in itself constitutes valld
ground of objection to the choice. The trades
men of the metropolis have rights which
| even tho President is bound to respect and III
' | is onlv fair to them that the functionary to
i | whom so wide a latitude is given by our tarin
, laws. to advance values and levy inequitaos
n contributions should be a person thoroughly
!, acouainted with the duties assigned to him.
" and imbuea with tho spirit of justice and i'm
: partiality calculated to inspire them with con-
fdsncs in the rectituds Of his intentions ana
fairness of his decisions. Whether these reA-
# sonable expectations are warranted In respecs
o of an inexperienced individual from an inisnd
state, whose previous pursuits have not been
at all in the line Of his present vocation Is
10 point concerning which there certainly Is room
e for doubt At all events if the appointment
O. had been determined upon strictly according
oil to merit, there is not the least lkelihood tina
the prize would have fallen where it did.
But after ALL the inadequacy Of the salary
attached to the post of appraiser detracts very
" much from the desirsbleness Of the place. He
w gets only 81 900 year. The work is oneroul
ID and the cares are incessant. There is great
Is deal said about the importance Of patronage
and the influence exerted through it upon the
fortunes of politicians and parties 1t seems tc
:" me that both very much exaggerated
do The civil list embraces larger number o1
Is persons in this city than in any other in the
'n Union, and they are as a general rule, mem
re brrs of the Republican organization. but they
do not constitute force that can be employed
for the promotion of the ambition Of any body
gu who may happen to be in position to eIe.cis<
es control over them The change Of chiefs thai
ell was brought about while ago with such tre
d. mendous exertions has produced no percepti
BILE effect upon the ascendency Of the leader
IL whom that movement dsposed from office
H. The pay of all the employees Of the Govern
ment from the highest to the lowest is far less
:. than it ought to be. The collector receives
~ $4,000 year; the surveyor and naval officel
$1,000 each and beyond that no one gets an,
more than will suffice to sustain life with the
most rigid economy in city where expenses
of every kind are inordinately numerous ant
,n heavy. Our Postmaster, Mr.. James, one o.
,,> the ablest officials that ever adorned . public
station gets only So, 900 per annum. IL he wer'
- set free he could easily command twice tina
sum at the head of some establishment or cor
poration in which his unsurpassed executive
49,, talents could be made available. He possesse
- the rare faculty OF directing the movements o
~ large body Of mon in such way as to dis
- pose of every one of them to the best advan
W. tage, putting them where they can be mos
~ useful and encouraging a spirit Of emulation
49, among them which makes their work congenia
~ as we'll as serviceable. The government i
-, extremely fortunate in being able to retain $
> capable an officer at so low q rate Of compen
"a sation. He would make a capital resident o
Railway or Express company, but he take
SO much pride in his present station that h
will probably continue to hold it in spite o
.. the drawback of an insufficient remuneration
-. As to his ever being removed, that would be
- blunder that even an executive of opposing
political faith would be likely to hesitate abou
:, committing, unless he were destitute Of a
-. consideration for the public interests
- On Wednesday next, society will take 81,
~. weeks rest. The advent of Lent will be vel
:. coined by good many people besides thos
ors who observe II In conformity with the regula
-, tions of the church. The season began early an
,,, has been an unusually brilliant one. Their
:. never was a more continuous succession Of a
49,, ternoon and evening receptions and partie.
OF balls, fetes, carnivals and festive gathering,
-. The votaries of fashion have been having sue
-. busy time Of it that there are few Of them VIII
ro will not feel relieved to get breathing spell
I'd New York has hailed the return of prosperit
-; with all kinds of demonstration, Of grati6cs
- ton. Her citizens have every reason to re
d joice at the great change in her fortunes whic
-. a single year has wrought. The height Of tn
~ popular elation is in striking contrast with tn
~ depth of the depression that preceded il
Thore has been large increase in the valu
4 and income of property. Business in ever
a.. department is brisk and lucrative. The hote
H. are crowded with visitors The theatres ar
thronoed with spectators Desirable lots al