New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-24
nRrING 70 cHANGE TIE sUEJECE

There is something extremely amusing III
the discussion of Civil Service Reform which
the defeated Democrats have just projected
upon the country. Coming Immediately after
a Presidential election, when political contro-
versy has in a measure subsidized and pubic
attention has been withdrawn from the issues
of current politics. IT seems to be out OF the
common: 10 have no relevancy to any
thing in particular. There's shade OF sus-
piclon in the public mind that the
uersons who have taken such sudden
interest in this business are not so pro-
foundly anxious to discuss this as to avoid
some other subject. There's n man by the
name of Morey wanted. or in lack OF Morey,
Morey's inventor and protector and there's
very earnest quest for information upon the
point whether the Democratic National Com
mittee are personally responsible for the
forgery and perjury and subOrnation OF per-
iury which were vainly resOrted to in the last
days of the late campaign TO save the
Democratic party from defeat. That has
been, since the election, the most
prominent topic. Ii looks very much
as though the diversion in the direc-
non of Civil Service Reform was due
these unpublished crimes than to any sud-
denly wakened interest in reform. They had
the opportunity to discuss Civil Service Re
form in general and in particular before the
election, when what they had TO say would
have been of interest as showing what the
party's plans were. They were advised
to do so: and, complaint being made
because the of1ccholders were SO active
it was suggested that General Hancock
could very easily disarm their opposition and
establish at the same time a practical and
much needed reform by simply writing let
fer promising in case of his election to make
no removals or appointments upon partisan
considerations or on the score OF party ser
vice Ii was not done. 1t was thought that
the gun would kick.
But now they are exceedingly interested IN
having the Government service reformed.
You cannot interest them in the pursuit OF the
forgers of the Morey letter OF of the subOrners
who undertook to prop the forgery with per-
Jury; and although they SAY their National
Committee, with the childlike Barnum at its
head, was imposed upon by the forgery, you
cannot persuade them to discuss measures to
hunt down the rascal who played upon Bar
NUNS innocence and deceived the dimpled
cherubs of the Committee. "Oh, no." they
saw ; "let us now talk about reforming the
"Civil Service" Well, what do these sweet
scented refOrmers propose? How reform the
service Is there any scandal rising out OF 1t at
present 7-any complaint of the lack OF integrity,
efficiency, capabity, fdeity7 We hear of
none. SO far as the discharge of official trusts
is concerned, 1t can be truly said that at no
period in the history of the Government has
the public service been ably, faithfully
and honestly administered. What Is the COM
plant then {! Why, this only: That Govern
ment officials were TOO active in their opposi-
ton to a great political movement whose
almost sole object was to kick them out of
EMPLOYMENT and give their places to others.
That is the trouble with the public service.
And that is the thing to be reformed. One
proposition III this direction is to forbid
their contributing 10 funds for election
purposes or actively participating In politics !;
but it is found easier to theorze about that
than to legislate practically or effectively with
reference to it. Anothcris for the present Con-
gress-the days of whose usefulness are so
lmited-to inaugurate system OF examlna-
tons as to the fitness of those who are in and
the qualifications of the outs who want to be
in, the effect of which it is hoped will be to
root out about half the Republicans now hold
ing Office and put Democrats in their places.
This, they say with smifk. would make the
service nom partisan. What delightful lot OF
reformers these are, to be sure. month age
the only reform they would think of was a
change that should sweep out every Re
publican official and put Democrat i'll his
place Not much -partisanslip in that
Now that they have been whipped out OF their
boots, and have no chance to make sweep
ing change, they think less radical ''f"'s