New-York tribune., 1880-01-16

predatory levios or assessments by anybody upon
his officials but he used intrigue ana
he escaped venalIty, in she exercise OF the appon
ing power. He caused rotten DoIouBHS W y"
swept away. and members to be sent from unlepIeI
sented towns; but he disfranchised Cathohcs ana
Royalists
In his own way be gave the partisan system a
most vigorous trial For Cromwell not only eayS
office and titles, cOnfscated lands. ana Drlpes OF
other sorts to his tavOrtcs and To those he wished 10
concihatc. but he added religious to a political
test for Office And TO lnduce others TO thlhk rs nc
did, he placed the creed of C0ngftgatlohailSm au
the door OF his conventions ana paThamehts as we
place the creed of ouT party at the CoorS OF me
post-Oliices and custOnl-hOuScs. lie not only Ioml
mated those who were to be voted for as members OF
a ParlinInent but lie also required them to get Il
certificate of orthodoxy from HlS colhlclI ucioIe
they were allowed to pass the doors OF 'he House
Being substantially In the position of great parry
leader he did not any reason why executive ana
partisan coercion and tests OF opinion nlght nOt ne
apDed TO legislative officers. and TO those III The
army, as well as to officials IN the cNll service
proper. And can we deny the logical consistency or
his reasoning! Those OF opposing ialth ana iaclloS
were as pToScTiptVe and rs vigorously dclhahue't
that political spoiis should be made the reward OF
victory as has heen the case m the most violent
partisan contests of Our times. No partisan hdn-
agcr ever used patronage more hkl1uHy or more
boldly than Cromwell And lie evidently DcHeYcd III
would strengthen his hold upon power ana per
petuate his dynasty. OF one of hls PaIilanents II
is said that 1t calculated that of the members
returned, one half were bound 10 the goNernlheht I
by ties of profit or place" The system does not
to have been any more effective than III our CAV
in securing model men for the customs service OF
example, one OF his statutes lcClteS nat CaIhe1'
poricrs wateru!cn and others employed on the
quays. , and also on the River Thames, are very
ordinarily drunk, and do also proiane ana haspneme
the holy uamo of God by cuIsIng and swearing
lie punished such offenders, however. with Vleor
that we have never reached: for he gave ms GUS
toms officers the powers of Justices of the peace
with liberty t. appoint deputies, each OF Whomi
without sueciai warrant mi sAt arrest any OF these
drunkards ard hlasphemcGs.
Neither Robert Walpoo nor General jackson
could deny thar this first trial Of the partisan sys-
TEN was in able hands But not evon the mighty
genius of Cromwell was able through that system TO
secure for himself or his party any abiding position
or of ,ial gratitude. As he went ON under r. MS
lowers melted away. Almost without q Struggle,
England resumed allegiance to the heir to her
throne, utterly base and unworthy as he was. Ihe
greatest genius for government England ever pro-
dnced WAS not able, through tho most skliui use OF
patronage, to leave gratitude enough behind him 20
save his own bones from being dragged from lhe
grave and exposed on ghbet 10 the jeers OF the
ROyaiiss. It Is quite probable that IN the lntOlcI
ant period IN which he llvcd-when unpopular 0pn"
ions took men to the biOck-wAen men fought aDolt
religious dogmas-when even slavery STOOD unchai-
lengcd by the popular Judgment when the nObiest
man Of his time was executed for treason IN NlOn-
ton of the pledge Of a klnE-any less meIcehaTy
ana partisan system than his would have failed OF
support Just as IN such times IL would have been
impossible to have manned fleets or hlled mp ar
mics, or 10 have Ted either successfully, without ne
hope and the enjoyment OF sacks, plIdRe- ana spol5
which were so long believed to be equally 1u-tt-
able and inevitable in wariaTe-and from the teIri-
bic reality of which the designation of sp0ils eys-
tcm,' in politics has been derived.
II cannot therefore hc said that Cromvcll really
broke up the spoiis system as a whole but only III
part but hfs administration caused some salutarN
changes in public opinion upon the subject, az wai
in the modes Of carrying on public BUSINESS lhe
number Of those who thought and acted boldly upon
political questions was permanently increased, and
he old system lost much of Its prestige. which II
never regaincd. 1t was made easier ior Parliament
TO become a great power at the expense Of The
Grown and tho nobility. Tho Star Chamber, the
Court of High Commission. and the arbitrary levy
of taxes were at end In the minds OF great
portion, and that the moro Intelligent portion, Of
the middle classes, the awe and majesty which had
hedged about King, and made Il manly scrutiny
Of his dOings almost Impossible, was to be no more
1t was not until several years after the accession
of George ". that the demand for reform in the
Civil Service began TO assume distinct shape and
was at length advocated with so much energy as to
become an imperative element In the of legs
lation. The first practical measures were connected
with the administrative reforms which excluded
politics from the arrangements of the police. The
examination system was gradually extended from
office to Office till the great change In 1858. The
open competitive system. which, with other meth
DDS was adopted about that time, has been attended
with highly satisfactory results. These open
examinations. says Mr. Eaton, arc founded
on broad principles of justice liberty, and equality.
'"rhe meaning attached to their being open Is that
every citizen is permitted upon the same conditions
to join in the competition, and that the right OF no
one to be examined is dependent either on any Off
cial OF any party. Each is TO come publicly and
fairly to the examination with the others who pre-
sent themselves and those who show the highest
measure of the qualifications which the government
REQUIRES in Its service. as laid down in fixed
regulations will win the chances of going into that
service All that fall below fixed standard are
cluded by their incompetcncy thus demonstrated.
In their very nature. competitive examinations
affirm these principles: d. That every citizen
whether high-boIn low born. whether with great
influence or wealth or without any influence or
wealth-stands on an equality before the laws and
in The right TO enjoy an open and manly contest
with bis fellows for the honor Of entering the ser
vice of his country. l2) That the Government
needs in its service, and seeks most to honor and re-
ward those who represent capacity and worth, and
not those whe represent partisan or official infiu-
ence political opinions, or intrigue. (3.) That the
right and proprlety of members Of Parliament
any other high officers taking to themselves the
monopoly and the profit Of opening and shutting,
at their pleasure. the gates of the public serylce-tO
all those who do not accept their politics and pay
court and swear fealty to them-is utterly denied
and intended to he made impossible in practice and
a. hat the afaiTs of the nation being the greatest
of all human affairs. and its interest to
have the people educated and of good char
acter being paramount interest, therefore Just
test Of relative character atainments, and capacity
is enforced IN the common cause Of good morals,
good government and general education. 1t is clear
that open competitive examinations must be every
where destructive Of monopoly of the right Of
saying who may be examined. The poorest and
bumblest may apply without the consent of any
officer any politician. No member of Parliament.
or other official, when they apply, could look over
his constituents and say, This relative of mine.
these old worn-out servants of mine. those who cleo
tioneered for me at the last election those who will
promise to work for me at the Icxt elcction or for
my schemes Of proGt-and those alone-nay bc ex,
amined. You are not among them TIE introduc-