Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-11-29
A HOPEFUL INDICATION.


A delegation of the Independent Repub
lican Association of New York called on
General Garfield recently and presented an
address to him on behalf of civil service
reform. A discussion on the subject fol
lowed, and in the course of it General Gar
field is reported to have said that she
chopped to have the cooperation of Con-
gress in establishing legal basis for all
"routine appointments, SO that it should
not be in the power of anybody, even
'tthe President, to remove any capable and
" faithful appointee during his term of
office, whether the term be long or
short" This is the most encouraging
indication yet given of the intentions of
the President in regard to this important
subject. We believe that if General Gar
field makes up his mind to carry out the
programme here outlined, he can obtain SO
solid and well organized a popular backing
that Congress will be compelled to fall IN
with his policy. The time is ripe for
radical change in regard to the organization
of the civil service. The people have had
much enlightenment on the question dur
ing the past four years, and the gravity
and immiHence of the dangers which have
been already incurred mainly through fac
| tional passion and intemperance have con-
WINGED all sober minded men that the pres
emit conditions cannot safely be tolerated any
longer. General Garfield is about to assume
the Presidency at very critical juncture.
His predecessor, though falling far below
the expectations of the friends of reform,
has nevertheless paved the way for better
things by showing how much good even
very partial and unsystematic reform
movement could produce. 1t is evident
that this question must either he dealt
with from the standpoint of enlightened
patriotism, or it will become more danger
GUS with every Presidential election. As
the country grows the civil service must
become more complex and expensive. At
present there are a hundred and ten thou
sand Offices to be disposed of. That is
very large number, but it must be realized
that in the natural course of national ex-
pansion time will come when this num-
Der will be even twice as large, and when,
consequently, if the present modes of dis
tribution are maintained, the difficulty of
introducing any reform will be also doubled
In fact, it is apparent that if nothing is
done in the direction of reform
our Presidential elections will become
more and more mere furious scrambles
for Office, and that all the cor
rupt and demoralizing agencies of
which We now complain will be increased
immeasurably. There is of course but
one wholly just and tenable point of view
from which to consider this subject, and
that point of view is, the national interest.
1t must be thoroughly realized that no
party has or can have lien upon the civil
service that no party has or can have tho
right to interpose its pretensions between
the country and reform that no Admin
istration is or can be justified in putting
the claims of a party above the interests
of the country that those interests re.
quire stability, efficiency, fidelity and
accuracy in the organization of the civil
service and that these qualifications are
Incompatible with the maintenance of the
spoils system. That system is thoroughly
vicious, and we believe that this is now
SO well understood that no party which
sets its face against reform can hope to
retain the confidence and support of the
country.