Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-01-29
GRANTS TALK
GRANTS TALK
During Idle Hours at Sea With
John Russell Young, About
Home Affairs.
His Opinions of Our Politicians
The Electoral Commits
sion.
Washburne, Logan, Fisher, Conk-
Washburne, Logan, Fisher, Conk-
ling, Bristow, Hayes, Greeley.
Political Go..ip and Personalities.

| Political Gossip and Personalities.
From Young's Around the World with General Gran
note especially one conversatio,
in the idle hours of sea travel, o,
home politics, particularly on th,
point 80 much discussed at home. Al
to the honesty of men in our publ,
life. "Men in public life," said th,
General, "are like men in othel
spheres of life. 1t would be YER,
hard for me to say that / knew ST,
men in public position that know
to be dishonest of absolute moral GER
tainty. Men will do things who are
Senators or members that reformers
call corrupt. They will ask for pat
ronage, and govern themselves in
their dealings with the Administra
ton by their success in the matter O,
patronage. This is a custom, and h
the reformer's theory is correct, it il
corruption. And yet the men who
were reformers, who turned their
eyes at the sins OF others, I generally
found as anxious for patronage
as others. Mr.. Sumner, for in.
stance, who is the idol of re.
formers, was among the first
Senators to ask offices for his friends.
He expected offices as a right. OF
course he spoke as Senator. He
had no consideration except as a
Senator. If he had been a private
man in Boston he would never have
named a Minister to London. AS
our public men go, as our forms Of
Government 60, Mr.. Sumner and
o.ner Senators were perfectly honest.
There was no corruption in his ask
ing me to appoint this man and the
other. They regard Executive an.
pointment for their friends as the re.
wards OF public life. Mr.. Edmunds
asked me to keep Marsh in Italy.
The whole Vermont delegation Joined
in the request Yet no Senator was
more independent than Edmunds.
more ready to oppose the Administra.
ton if he disagreed with it-and so
down the whole list.
1t was a rule. In Government
where there are Senators and mem.
bers, where Senators and members
depend upon politics for success.
there will be applications for patron.
age. You can not call it corruption
it is condition OF our representa-.
tive form of Goyernment-and vet If
you read the newspapers, and hear
the stories of the reformers, you will
be told that any asking for place is
corruption. My experience of men
makes me very charitable in my crit.
icism of public officers. l think our
Government is honestly and econom.
ically managed that our civil ser.
vice is as good as any in the world
that l have seen, and the men in of.
fice are men who, as rule, do their
best for the country and the Govern
ment. There is no man in the coun.
try," continued the General, $50 anx.
ious for civil service reform as the
President OF the UnitedStates for the
time being. He il the one perhaps
most interested. Patronage is the
bane of the Presidential Office. A
large share Of the vexations and
cares of the Exc cutive gcome from
patronage. He is necessarily a civil
service reformer, because he wants
peace of mind. Even apart from
this, | was anxious when / became
President to have civil service re.
form broad enough to include all its
most earnest friends desired. gave
it an honest and fair trial. although
George William Curtis thinks | did
not. One reason, perhaps, for Mr..
Curtis opinion may be that he does
not know as much about the facts az
| do. There is a good deal of cant
about civil service reform, which
throws doubt upon the sincerity OF
the movement. The impression is
given by the advocates of civil ser
vice reform that most of the execu.
tive appointments are made out OF
the penitentiary. Writers who have
reached years of discretion, like John
Jay, gravely assert that one.fourth
OF the revenue collected at tie New
York Custom house is lost in process
OF collection. Of course, no reform
can be sound when it is sustained by
such wild and astounding deolara
tons. Then many of those who talk
civil service reform in public are the
most persistent in seeking offices Iol
their friends. Civil service reform
rests entirely with Congress. If mem.
bers and Senators will give up claim
ing patronage, that will be ster
gained. But there is an immense
amount of human nature to seeh
power and use IT 10 help friends. An
Executive must consider Congress.
A Government machine must run
and an Executive depends on Con.
gress. The members have theiI
rights as well as himself. If he wants
to get along with Congress, have the
Government go smoothly and secure
wholesome legislation, he must be il
sympathy with Congress. 1t has be
come the habit with Congressman te
share with the Executive the respons
Utility of appointments. 1t is unius,
to say that this habit is necessaril,
corrupt. 1t is simply custom thai
has grown up, fact that can not bs
ignored. The President very rarely
appoints, be merely registers the ap
pointments of members OF Congress
In Q country IS vast az ours the sd
vice OF Congressman as to persons t.
be appointed is useful, and generally
for the best Interests of the coantry
The long continuance of the Repub
lican party in power really assures NJ
civil service reform. Mr.. Hayes
Administration will close the tween
tieth year of Republican rule. Thes,
twenty years have built up a larg,
body of experienced servants in 81
departments of the Government
The only break was when Mr.. John
son was at enmity with his party
aud filed many Offices with incompe
tent men. ! suffer cd from that
Most of my early removals and sp