The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-12-19

1tisa a good sign that in all the startling
mutations Of politics Civil Service Reform
continues TO keep its place before the public
attention. There is ground for hope that
those who talk about il so incessantly must
at last come to understand something of what
Il Is, and so grow to he its advocates. The
most surprising feature would seem TO be
that TnR SUNDAY HsRALp continues almost
alone OF Washington newspapers to declare
for the true principles of this measure, al
though no place does and no place can suffer
so severely from the perversion of the civil
service as the city of Washington. Some Of
the partisan sheets here are brazen enough
to do what would scarcely be deemed posi-
ble-espouse openly the prostitution and
degradation of the civil service as q stroke Of
sound policy. This is worse than Machiavel |
liam, for Machiavell at least desired the civil |
administration to lie carried on efficiently. |
II can only he compared TO the advocacy Of
the slaughter of non-combatants or the poi
soning of wells as a measure of warfare. II
shocks us like return to barbarism in the
midst of n civilized age. We have got past
the point where anything more can he done
for the "nachine than to cloak and apollo
| gize for its enormities. To thrust ii forward
and attempt TO defend IL in all its nakedness
can only be the work of impudence and
audacity, not of good sense. The spoils sys-
tenn has the tacit acquiescence Of number
of good men who are heartily ashamed of IL,
simply because they think it is necessary in
order to beat the other side. 1t has the
think that call is fair in war;" a maxim
which has been invoked among other things
TO defend the poisoning Of wells just referred
to. Both classes would certainly agree that
il the tenure of subordinate offices depended
ON good behavior, irrespective of politics,
neither party would be the worse of, and the
public business would be much better off.
The very small class who are, or pretend to
be, mad enough to believe that the civil SER
vice is benefited by the cruel process Of a
} clean sweep every time the Administration
changes, and by keeping the clerks with
their best eye on the political heavens and
the other--part of the time-on their work
might then be safely left to their ingloriou:
minority.
But the strangest thing, as we have said
is the apathy on this subject in Washington
where 1t is such vital issue. During tn,
!. last campaign Washington merchants ant
n business men were besought, argued with
e inveghed against for taking any part in tn
a Democratic campaign, because Democrat
O victory would mean this detestable " cleal
!, "sweep," and they would lose all their oil
= customers, to say nothing of whatever littl
/, balances might be outstanding; which wa
'e a high implied compliment to the characte
'r of the Republican appointees from the joul
At nails of their own persuasion. Here was a
to attempt to paralyze the legitimate polite,
'e activity, not of clerks and clerkesses, but
es independent citizens who had every right
W take which side they chose. So much {,
10 the collateral effects of perverted civil Sc
vice. Worse than this mere threat, howeve
were the actual sums wrung from the need
-. drudges of Government under this new ie
a.. dality of place and power, to be sent out
-, the District TO distances from which Il
1, money never could return hither. This ma
lv avery real tax upon our business men in Il
n, way of those little balances which formed L
De- text of the Radical argument, to say nothi
i'd of the absolute loss to our theatres, our ed
sic cational institutions, and all other pub
purveyors, while this blight was upon I
general sources of supply. Can any one S
that it would not have been million or
IT, in the general pocket if there had been
ION campaign assessments levied or collect
oh- herel The abolition of these would be l
'h. one of the good works of civil service refor
~, oo' If not as partisan prints, then for local r.
' sons. the Washington newspapers shol
~ cease their present opposition. 1t is easy
~, misrepresent the reform, easy to sneer al
ron as English, "a feature which it shares W
.re Habeas Corpus and several other of our
asa stitutions,) but to solemnly argue against
or when local interests are kept in view, Il
ron will find difficult, if not impossible.